Ukraine expresses concern over Israeli shelling of UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has expressed concern over the October 10 shelling by Israeli forces of the UN Interim Force in Southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), which resulted in injuries to representatives of the international mission.
This is stated in the commentary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.
The Foreign Ministry called the incident a serious violation of international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701 of 2006.
The Ministry also called on all parties to the conflict to guarantee full security and respect the immunity of UN agencies and their representatives.
The UN Interim Force has been deployed in southern Lebanon since May 1978. UNIFIL consists of about 10,500 peacekeepers from 50 countries and is complemented by a five-ship maritime task force. According to its mandate, the UN force is to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon; it monitors the cessation of hostilities, supports the deployment of the Lebanese armed forces, and helps the government ensure the return of power in the region.
On October 10, UNIFIL reported that two of its peacekeepers were injured after an IDF tank fired at an observation tower at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura.