Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has again attacked United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon UNFIL’s Naqoura headquarters injuring two peacekeepers.
UNIFIL in a statement posted on its official social media handle X formerly Twitter said the two peacekeepers were Injured after two explosion occurred close to its observation tower.
According to the statement, one Injured peacekeeper was taken to a hospital in Tyre, while the second is being treated in Naqoura.
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“Today, several T-walls at our UN position 1-31, near the Blue Line in Labbouneh, fell when an IDF caterpillar hit the perimeter and IDF tanks moved in the proximity of the UN position. Our peacekeepers remained at the location, and a UNIFIL Quick Reaction Force was dispatched to assist and reinforce the position.
“These incidents put again UN peacekeepers, who are serving in south Lebanon at the request of the Security Council under resolution 1701 (2006), at very serious risks.
This is a serious development, and UNFIL reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times.
It said any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).
Meanwhile, countries around the world including Western staunch supporters of Tel Aviv like Italy and its critic China have condemned attack on UNFIL describing it a deliberate as well as wrong act.
Israeli forces have acted illegally by shooting at positions used by UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, according to Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, who denounced it as a possible “war crime”.
“This was not a mistake and not an accident,” Crosetto told a news conference. “It could constitute a war crime and represented a very serious violation of international humanitarian law,” he said.
Crosetto said he had contacted his Israeli counterpart to protest and had also summoned the Israeli ambassador to Italy to demand an explanation, which was not yet forthcoming.
Meanwhile, China expressed “grave concern and strong condemnation” of the incidents.
“China expresses grave concern and strong condemnation over the Israeli 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 UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
In the same vein, Hezbollah said it launched a drone attack on Israeli military base in Kiryat Eliezer in Haifa.
In a statement, it added “Our fighters targeted an Israeli soldiers’ gatherings with rockets in the Zovolon area, north of Haifa, and in the settlement of Kafrsold. We shelled the Yaftah barracks and its surroundings.
It targeted al-Abad site with a missile.
The Lebanese group said these attacks come in support of the Palestinians and in defence of Lebanon following Israeli attack on civilians that have killed more than 2,000 people.
In another development, the death toll in Gaza have rised to 42,126 people while 98,117 wounded in Israel military attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Gaza’s Health Ministry added that 61 Palestinians were killed and 231 wounded in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
Source: Aljazeera and other news outlets.