UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has voiced deep concern over the "increased frequency" of attacks affecting UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, after UNIFIL reported that an Israeli tank fired near its personnel in the country’s south.
"I can tell you that the Secretary-General is indeed deeply concerned by the increased frequency of incidents impacting the safety and security of our peacekeepers in Lebanon," said Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a news conference.
Referring to UNIFIL, Dujarric said the mission had requested that the Israeli military "stop the firing immediately,” noting that “no UNIFIL personnel were injured" so far.
Guterres reminded "all parties of their obligations to ensure the protection of UN personnel and property," adding that "peacekeepers must never be targeted by attacks."
UNIFIL on Sunday said the attack, which occurred near a position erected by Israel inside Lebanese territory, represents a “serious violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The resolution, adopted on 11 August 2006, calls for a cessation of hostilities between Lebanese Hezbollah and Israel and establishes a weapons-free zone between the Litani River and the Blue Line boundary mapped by the UN.
Tensions have been rising in southern Lebanon for weeks, with the Israeli army intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory, allegedly targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.
The Israeli army has killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000 in its attacks on Lebanon, which began in October 2023 and escalated into a full-scale attack in September 2024.
Under a ceasefire declared in November 2024, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January, but instead carried out only a partial pullout and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.
