World reacts to alleged Israeli attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon | Israel attacks Lebanon news

UN peacekeepers in Lebanon have accused Israeli forces of firing on some of their positions as Israel expands its attacks across Lebanon.

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Thursday that two of its Indonesian peacekeepers were injured when an Israeli tank fired on a guard tower at the force’s headquarters in Ras an-Naqoura, causing them to fall to the ground.

UNIFIL said in a statement that any attack on peacekeepers constituted a “serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

The peacekeeping organization, founded in 1978 and made up of around 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries, said Israeli forces had “deliberately” fired on its positions along the border.

Here are some key reactions to the attack on UN peacekeepers:

UNIFIL

UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told Al Jazeera the attack was a “very serious” development.

Tenenti explained that Israel had previously asked peacekeepers to withdraw from “certain positions” near the border, but “we decided to stay because it is important that the UN flag flies.” [the] south of Lebanon.”

“If it becomes impossible for the mission to operate in southern Lebanon, it will be up to the Security Council to decide what to do next,” he said.

“At the moment we are staying and trying to do everything we can to monitor the situation [and] to provide assistance,” Tenenti added.

Israel

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said he recommended peacekeepers abandon their positions outside the Israel-Lebanon border and move north “while the situation along the Blue Line remains unstable due to Hezbollah’s aggression.”

Italy

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto described the attack on UNIFIL bases as “totally unacceptable.”

“This was not a mistake and not an accident,” Crosetto said at a news conference.

“It could constitute a war crime and a very serious violation of international military law,” he said.

He added that he had summoned the Israeli ambassador to demand an explanation of the attack.

France

The Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs condemned the attack and said it was waiting for an explanation from Israel as to why the attack took place.

“France expresses its deep concern about the Israeli shots that hit the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and condemns any attack on the security of UNIFIL,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Protecting peacekeepers is an obligation that applies to all parties to the conflict,” the statement continued.

Spain

The Spanish Foreign Ministry described the attack as a “serious violation of international law.”

“The Spanish government strongly condemns the Israeli fire that hit the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the safety of peacekeepers was “guaranteed.”

European Union

Foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the attack on peacekeepers, whose positions were well known, was an “inadmissible act for which there is no justification.”

“Two peacekeepers were wounded and that is unacceptable. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and the UN Security Council [UN Security Council] Resolution 1701: Israel is obliged to respect both. “Full accountability is required,” Borrell wrote on X.

He reiterated the EU’s “full support” for UNIFIL.