'We call on Israel and all parties to uphold their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel at all times,' says joint statement
The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the UK on Monday expressed "deep concern" over recent Israeli attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, condemning threats to UNIFIL's security.
"We, the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom express our deep concern in the wake of recent attacks by IDF on UNIFIL bases, which have left several peacekeepers injured. These attacks must stop immediately. We condemn all threats to UNIFIL's security," read a joint statement.
Expressing that any deliberate attack against UNIFIL goes against international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the statement noted that the protection of peacekeepers is "incumbent upon all parties to a conflict."
"We call on Israel and all parties to uphold their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel at all times and to allow UNIFIL to continue carrying out its mandate," the foreign ministers said.
They reaffirmed the essential stabilizing role played by UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, highlighting the importance of the UN in resolving armed conflict and mitigating the humanitarian impact.
Israeli tanks on Sunday forced entry into one of UNIFIL's positions, latest in a series of violations and attacks by the Israeli militar that injured several peacekeeping troops.
