In a joint statement released on Saturday, forty countries with troops serving as UN peacekeepers in Lebanon strongly condemned the recent attacks on peacekeepers. The statement, posted by Poland’s UN mission on X, followed reports of a fifth peacekeeper being injured in southern Lebanon on Friday.
The statement called for an immediate end to these actions and urged that they be thoroughly investigated. It also emphasized the need for conflict parties to respect the UNIFIL mission and ensure the safety of its personnel at all times. Co-signatories included nations such as the UK, France, India, Germany, and Spain.
Since Thursday, UNIFIL reported two peacekeepers injured when an Israeli tank struck their observation tower in Naqoura, causing it to collapse. Two more were hurt by explosions near the tower on Friday. Sri Lanka and Indonesia, whose citizens were among the injured, condemned the incidents. Additionally, a fifth peacekeeper was injured by gunfire at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura amid nearby military activity.
