LONDON, April 1– The foreign ministers of Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, the United Kingdom, as well as the High Representative of the European Union, strongly condemned the recent attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) contingents in a joint statement on Tuesday.
The recent attacks on UNIFIL that killed three UN peacekeepers in Lebanon “provoked unacceptable casualties among peacekeepers in recent days,” said the statement, adding: “We urge all parties, under all circumstances, to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises, in accordance with international law.”
The statement voiced strong support for the mandate of the UNIFIL in southern Lebanon and urged efforts to ensure deconfliction channels remain open.
The statement also called for the protection of the civilian population, humanitarian personnel, peacekeepers, and civilian infrastructure, including airports, ports and bridges across the country, in line with international humanitarian law.
“We call on Israel to avoid a further widening of the conflict, including through a ground operation on Lebanese territory. We strongly reaffirm that the territorial integrity of Lebanon must be respected,” it added.
Along the Lebanon-Israel border, cross-border fighting between the Israeli military and Hezbollah has intensified since March 2. Earlier this week, three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon, where Israel is accelerating its airstrikes and ground military operations.
On Tuesday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that Israel has refused to respond to Lebanese, Arab, and international calls to halt military operations and begin negotiations. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
