The forty nations that contribute to the U.N. peacekeeping power in Lebanon issued an announcement Saturday, strongly condemning latest Israeli assaults on the peacekeepers.
“Such actions must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated,” stated the joint assertion, posted on X by the Polish U.N. mission and signed by nations together with main contributors Indonesia, Italy and India.
Other signatories embody Ghana, Nepal, Malaysia, Spain, France, and China, all of which have contributed a number of hundred troops to the power.
At least 5 peacekeepers have been wounded in latest days in Israeli assaults because it targets Lebanon-based Hezbollah.
The peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, has accused the Israeli navy of “deliberately” firing on its positions.
The 40 contributing international locations “reaffirm our full support for UNIFIL’s mission and activities, whose principal aim is to bring stabilization and lasting peace in South Lebanon as well as in the Middle East,” the assertion learn.
“We urge the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL’s presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times,” it added.
UNIFIL, which entails about 9,500 troops of some 50 nationalities, is tasked with monitoring a cease-fire that ended a 33-day battle in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.
Its position was bolstered by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 of that 12 months, which stipulated that solely the Lebanese military and U.N. peacekeepers must be deployed in south Lebanon.
At a summit Friday, French, Italian and Spanish leaders stated the “attacks” on UNIFIL peacekeepers violated Resolution 1701 and should finish.
UNIFIL stated that, in latest days, its forces have come beneath hearth within the Lebanese city of Naqura the place it’s headquartered, in addition to in different positions.
The mission stated that Israeli tank hearth Thursday precipitated two Indonesian peacekeepers to fall off a watch tower in Naqura.
The following day it stated explosions near an statement tower in Naqura wounded two Sri Lankan Blue Helmets whereas Israel claimed it had responded to an “immediate threat” close to a U.N. peacekeeping place.
On Saturday, UNIFIL stated a peacekeeper in Naqura “was hit by gunfire” on Friday evening.
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti instructed AFP the peacekeeping mission’s work had change into “very difficult because there is a lot of damage, even inside the bases.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com