Israeli attack on UN peacekeepers sparks widespread condemnation

Two personnel from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) were injured on Friday after they were attacked by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon, prompting global condemnation.

According to a statement from Unifil, Unifil’s headquarters in Naqoura was hit twice in 48 hours.

“Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006),” said the statement published on X.

One of the wounded is being treated in Tire, the other in Naqoura. However, the extent of the injuries was not made public by the United Nations.

Israel’s war against Lebanon included extensive airstrikes on several parts of the country, including central Beirut, the Hezbollah leadership and its commanders, and a ground invasion in southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that the death toll from Israeli attacks since October 8, 2023 is 2,169 and 10,212 were injured.

The Israeli military said in a statement it was conducting a thorough review after being informed that U.N. peacekeepers had been “accidentally” wounded in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army claimed to go into “protected spaces and stay there”.

However, according to a statement posted on Unifil’s website the same day, the attack followed another incident on Thursday in which two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured by an Israeli Merkava tank that fired at an observation tower at Unifil’s headquarters.

“Fortunately, the injuries this time are not serious, but they remain in hospital,” the statement said.

The statement accuses Israel of targeting its personnel and positions.

It mentions that Israel fired on UN positions in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where “peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system.”

According to the statement, an Israeli drone could be seen inside the UN position “up to the bunker entrance.”

It added that Israel “deliberately fired on and disabled the position’s surveillance cameras” and also “deliberately fired on UNP 1-32A in Ras Naqoura, where regular trilateral meetings were held before the start of the conflict.”

“We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligation to ensure the security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times.”

Global condemnation

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called the attacks “unbearable” and said “they must not be repeated.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday called on the international community to stop arms sales to Israel and condemned Israel’s attacks against Unifil.

“Let me at this point criticize and condemn the attacks by the Israeli forces on the United Nations mission in Lebanon,” Sanchez said after meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican in Rome.

On Friday, French politician Emmanuel Macron said he would not tolerate Israel’s “deliberate” attacks on UN peacekeepers and summoned Israel’s ambassador to the country to seek an explanation for the incident.

“These attacks represent serious violations of international law and must stop immediately,” the French foreign ministry said on Friday, adding that all warring parties were obliged to protect peacekeepers.

France has around 700 soldiers as part of the Unifil mission. French troops were not wounded.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday he had instructed his Israeli counterpart to ensure the security of UN peacekeepers along the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon.

In his phone call with Yoav Gallant on Friday, Austin said he “urged to ensure the security of Unifil forces and coordinate efforts to transition from military operations to a diplomatic path as quickly as possible.”

Washington has declared its support for Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and said it has the right to defend itself.

China expressed “great concern and strong condemnation” on Friday over Israeli attacks on UN peacekeeping operations.

“China expresses grave concern and condemns the Israel Defense Forces’ attack on Unifil positions and observation posts, which resulted in injuries to Unifil personnel,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, referring to the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon.

“Such actions must be stopped immediately,” Mao said, calling for an “investigation into the incident, holding those responsible accountable and taking measures to prevent a recurrence.”

Acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati described the attack on the Unifil peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon as a crime on Friday.

He also said he had spoken with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about efforts to reach a ceasefire in Lebanon.

The ground invasion focused on southern Lebanon, where Unifil – which has around 10,000 officers – has operated since 1978.

Since the last war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, Unifil has become, along with the Lebanese army, the only force that should be deployed between the Israeli border and the Litani River, 30 kilometers north of the border, according to UN Resolution 1701.

After its invasion, Israel ordered a number of Unifil outposts to be abandoned, which the organization refused.