Security Council backs peacekeepers in Lebanon following Israeli attacks

The UN Security Council voiced concern Monday following the crackdown on several UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon amid clashes between the Israeli Army and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants.

In a consensus- approved statement, the 15-member council also urged all sides, not to mention them, to respect the security of personnel and facilities of the UN peacekeeping mission, known as the U. NIFIL.

“UN peacekeepers and objects should never be the target of a” attack, The council said, repeating its support for the mission.

The Security Council also called for full implementation of Resolution 1701, which was adopted in 2006 with the goal of preserving peace on the border between Lebanon and Israel. Council “It acknowledged the need for further practical measures to achieve such a”, but did not give details.

Since the start of the Israeli ground operation in Lebanon on October 1st, the positions of the UN peacekeeping mission have been hit 20 times, including a direct attack and an incident marked Sunday when two Israeli tanks broke out the gates of its base, the United Nations said.

“The peacekeeping five were injured during these incidents, including a peacekeeper who was wounded by a” bullet, UN spokesman Stephanie Dujarric told reporters Monday.

Over the past two weeks, Israel has told UN peacekeepers to withdraw after 5km from the so-called Blue Line, a line drafted by the UN that separates Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-dominated Golan Heights.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on the UN to evacuate peacekeepers from fighting zones in Lebanon. It is time to remove peacekeepers from Hezbollah's bastions and from the war zones”, he said.

UN peacekeepers chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said on Monday that UN troops would not move. After briefing the Security Council on closed doors, he told reporters he would meet with Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon on Tuesday.

The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified over the past few weeks, while Israel has staged air strikes in southern Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley. / VOA