A UN peacekeeper was wounded by gunfire from an unknown source in southern Lebanon, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported on Saturday, amid clashes between Israel and Hezbollah.
UNIFIL reported that the peacekeeper, stationed at their headquarters in Naqoura, was struck by gunfire due to nearby military activity, with the source of the gunfire not known at present. The BBC reports that this is the fifth injury among peacekeepers in southern Lebanon in just two days.
On Friday, two UNIFIL peacekeepers were wounded when an Israeli tank opened fire on a UN observation tower. The BBC stated that the Israeli military admitted that the peacekeepers were hurt by Israeli fire while it was targeting Hezbollah. The UN emphasized that any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a violation of Security Council resolution 1701.
France, Italy, and Spain, the largest European contributors to UNIFIL in terms of personnel, condemned Israel’s alleged breach of resolution 1701 in a joint statement that urged all parties to ensure the safety of its personnel.
On 1 October, Israeli troops launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon as part of its escalation against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were focused on “Hezbollah targets and infrastructure” in a number of Lebanese villages along the border that posed an immediate threat to Israeli towns.
In light of the escalation of war, Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, urged UNIFIL peacekeepers to pull back to “avoid danger.”
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations responded that the UNIFIL peacekeepers are “currently staying in all their positions”.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon was created by the Security Council in March 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. It aimed to restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area.
Its role was bolstered by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in 2006, which stipulates that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should be deployed in south Lebanon.
As of April 2024, UNIFIL had approximately 9,500 troops from around 50 countries.
(Jurist)
