About 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries are stationed in Lebanon, alongside around 800 civilian staff
The United States has urgently called on Israel to cease its attacks on UN peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon, following two separate incidents that resulted in the injury of four soldiers. The tension comes as Israeli forces continue their conflict with Hezbollah in the region. US President Joe Biden, in a firm statement issued on Friday, insisted that Israel must stop targeting the UN personnel, emphasizing the need for protecting international peacekeepers during such a volatile period.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) admitted responsibility for the most recent incident on Friday. Two Sri Lankan soldiers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were injured when Israeli troops opened fire near their base in Naqoura, a town located in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, their forces had identified a threat near the UNIFIL base and responded with gunfire. The military has assured that an investigation into the incident is already underway and will be handled at the “highest levels.”
This marks the second such event within 48 hours. On Thursday, two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured after an Israeli tank fired towards an observation tower in southern Lebanon. The soldiers fell from the tower as a result of the blast, further escalating tensions between Israel and the international community.
The leaders of France, Italy, and Spain quickly condemned Israel’s actions, calling them unjustifiable and demanding that they cease immediately. In a joint statement, they underscored the importance of respecting the safety of peacekeepers deployed to maintain stability in conflict zones.
Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry also expressed strong condemnation of the attack that injured its two soldiers, labeling it an unacceptable act against those tasked with maintaining peace.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of UN peacekeeping operations, confirmed that evidence suggests some of the firing directed at UN positions appeared to be deliberate. Speaking to the BBC’s Newshour program, he revealed that in one instance, a UN observation tower was struck by fire, and surveillance cameras at another site were damaged. These findings raise serious concerns about the nature of Israel’s engagement with the UN forces stationed in Lebanon.
Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, missiles and rockets continued to be exchanged across the Israel-Lebanon border. The IDF reported that within a 30-minute period on Friday, approximately 100 rockets were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel. In addition, two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected entering Israeli airspace from Lebanon. One of the UAVs was intercepted, while the fate of the second remains unclear.
The conflict has already taken a heavy toll on civilians. In the city of Sidon, located in southern Lebanon, an Israeli air raid on Friday killed three people, including a two-year-old girl, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Meanwhile, two Lebanese soldiers were killed when Israeli forces targeted an army post in the town of Kafra.
In the Lebanese capital of Beirut, emergency workers continued efforts to recover victims from the rubble of buildings hit by Israeli airstrikes on Thursday. Prime Minister Najib Mikati revealed that the airstrikes, which came without warning, killed 22 civilians and injured 117 others. Israel has yet to comment on the strikes in Beirut.
The situation in southern Lebanon has been escalating for weeks. Israel launched a ground invasion into the region last month in response to continued rocket attacks from Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group. The fighting is part of a broader conflict that has seen frequent exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces since October of last year. That initial escalation was triggered by a deadly attack carried out by Hamas, a Palestinian group based in Gaza, in southern Israel.
As tensions flare, the UN has expressed concern over the safety of its personnel in the region. UNIFIL has reported multiple incidents involving Israeli military vehicles damaging barriers and violating the boundaries of UN sites, particularly in Labbouneh, near the Israeli border.
Friday’s attack on the UN base in Naqoura has been described as a “serious development” by UNIFIL officials. Lebanese Prime Minister Mikati condemned the attack, calling it “a crime directed at the international community.” The UN, along with several other international bodies, has urged Israel to respect international law and ensure the safety of peacekeepers on the ground.
For now, the US and other key international players are working to de-escalate the situation, while maintaining diplomatic pressure on Israel to ensure that UN personnel are not caught in the crossfire as hostilities continue along the Israel-Lebanon border.
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