On October 13, Lebanese National News Agency reported that an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon completely destroyed a century-old mosque. This incident coincides with a wave of violence targeting members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which includes troops from 40 countries operating in the area. On October 12, these nations released a joint statement condemning the attacks and accusing the Israeli military of intentionally opening fire. They demanded an immediate cessation of such actions and called for a thorough investigation.
This statement, initiated by Poland, garnered support from countries including China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, India, Brazil, and South Korea. It reaffirmed their full backing for the UNIFIL mission, which aims to foster stability and lasting peace in southern Lebanon and the broader Middle East. As tensions escalate in the region, the role of UNIFIL has become increasingly critical, with a call for all parties to respect its presence and ensure the safety of its personnel to facilitate the peacekeeping mission.
The statement reiterated the commitment of these nations and the United Nations to multilateral cooperation while urging all parties to uphold international law, particularly the UN Charter and relevant Security Council resolutions. UNIFIL’s mission is to monitor the ceasefire after the 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006. According to Security Council Resolution 1701, Lebanese southern territory should only be occupied by UN peacekeeping forces and the Lebanese army.
On October 12, UNIFIL reported that its headquarters in Naqura, southern Lebanon, had come under attack again, resulting in the wounding of a peacekeeping personnel from gunfire the previous evening. This brings the total number of injured UNIFIL personnel to five since October 10. A UNIFIL post in Ramiah also suffered significant damage due to proximity explosions from nearby artillery fire, although the statement did not specify the responsible party.
On the same day, two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were injured following an attack in Naqura. In response, the Israeli military claimed it fired only after detecting a threat and committed to conducting an investigation. On October 10, Israeli tanks opened fire on a lookout tower at UNIFIL’s Naqura headquarters, resulting in injuries to two Indonesian peacekeepers. The Chief of Staff of the Irish Defense Forces, which contributes to UNIFIL, suggested that the Israeli military’s actions were deliberate.
UNIFIL has accused the Israeli military of intentional fire. Spokesperson Andrea Teneti expressed concern that Israel’s escalating offensive against Hezbollah could quickly spiral into a regional conflict with catastrophic consequences. He warned that attacks on peacekeeping forces are a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
President Biden has firmly demanded that Israel stop attacking peacekeepers, while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed deep concern during a recent call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, urging the safeguarding of both the peacekeeping forces and the Lebanese army. Gallant claimed that the Israeli military would take steps to avoid harming peacekeepers and their installations.
Several southern European nations stated on October 11 that the attacks on UNIFIL violate Security Council resolutions. French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez jointly expressed their outrage over the Israeli military’s attacks on peacekeeping personnel. The German Foreign Ministry also described Israel’s actions as unacceptable, and Pope Francis called for respect for UNIFIL’s mission on October 13.
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