UN, EU condemn Israeli attack on peacekeepers in southern Lebanon
UN and EU express deep concern over Israel’s strike on UNIFIL patrol, calling the attack unacceptable and urging respect for the ceasefire and withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
The UN has denounced the recent Israeli attacks targeting a patrol of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
"I can tell you that we are very concerned about the incident that occurred on Sunday in which an Israeli drone dropped a grenade in the vicinity of a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) patrol and subsequently an Israeli tank fired a shot at the peacekeepers in Kafr Kila in the UNIFIL area of operations," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference on Monday.
Confirming that there were no injuries, Dujarric also reported that "no damage was caused to our peacekeepers and assets."
"This incident came after an earlier one in the same location, where an Israeli drone flew over a UNIFIL patrol in an aggressive manner," he said, adding that "the UNIFIL peacekeepers employed defensive countermeasures to neutralise the drone."
He stressed that "any actions that may endanger the safety and security of the peacekeepers are completely unacceptable and must cease immediately."
European condemnation
The European Union has also condemned Israel's latest attack on a UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, urging all parties to respect the ceasefire and calling on Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory.
In a statement, the EU said the Israeli strike on 26 October targeted a detachment of UNIFIL, marking "the latest in a series of similar incidents in recent weeks."
"The safety and security of UN personnel and premises must be ensured in accordance with international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701," the bloc said.
Reiterating its call for de-escalation, the EU urged all sides to fully comply with the ceasefire agreement reached on 26 November 2024 and called on Israel "to withdraw from the entire Lebanese territory."
UNIFIL reported on Sunday that an Israeli drone and tank fire targeted a patrol near Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon.
The peacekeeping mission also said that an Israeli drone flew over a UNIFIL patrol in the same area, prompting peacekeepers to take defensive measures to neutralise it.
UNIFIL has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978 and was significantly reinforced under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.