UNIFIL Spokesman to Asharq Al-Awsat: Peacekeepers Were Taken Off-Guard
26 August 2023, Lebanon, Kfra Shouba: UN peacekeeping troops secure the Lebanese border side with Israel at the outskirts of the Lebanese southern village of Kfar Shouba. (dpa)
Beirut: Paul Astih
31 March 2024 AD ـ 21 Ramadan 1445 AH
Three United Nations observers and a translator were wounded on Saturday when a shell exploded near them as they were carrying out a foot patrol in south Lebanon, the UN peacekeeping mission said, adding it was still investigating the origin of the blast.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as well as unarmed technical observers known as UNTSO, are stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, known as the Blue Line.
Two security sources had earlier told Reuters the observers were wounded in an Israeli strike outside the border town of Rmeish.
A Lebanese security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel was behind the attack.
The source said the attack was carried out by a direct strike or an artillery shell. It added that such attacks "don’t happen by accident."
Tel Aviv has denied involvement. "Contrary to the reports, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) did not strike a UNIFIL vehicle in the area of Rmeish this morning," the military said in a statement.
UNIFIL did not pin blame on any side. Its spokesperson, Andrea Tenenti said three OGL (UNTSO) military observers and one Lebanese language assistant on a foot patrol along the Blue Line were injured when an explosion occurred near their location.
They were evacuated for medical treatment. OGL (UNTSO) observers support UNIFIL in implementing its mandate, he explained in a statement.
"We are investigating the origin of the explosion," he continued.
"Safety and security of UN personnel must be guaranteed. All actors have a responsibility under international humanitarian law to ensure protection to non-combatants, including peacekeepers, journalists, medical personnel, and civilians," Tenenti added.
"We repeat our call for all actors to cease the current heavy exchanges of fire before more people are unnecessarily hurt," he stressed.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Tenenti said the wounded were in stable condition even though one was severely injured.
He revealed that the peacekeepers who were wounded did not receive prior warning and were taken off-guard.
He vowed that a full investigation will be held, saying no direct information was available yet to make accusations.
Given how dangerous the incident was, all facts must be verified before reaching conclusions, he went on to say.
In line with UN Security Council resolution 1701, the results of technical probes carried out by UNIFIL are shared with the concerned parties and not revealed. Dozens of probes have been carried out since October 7, he said.
The aim is to stop the escalation, stressed the spokesperson.
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati spoke with UNIFIL commander Aroldo Lozaro, condemning the "targeting" and wounding of UN staff in southern Lebanon, according to a statement from Mikati's office.
The mayor of Rmeish, Milad Alam, told Reuters that he had spoken with the Lebanese translator and confirmed his condition was stable.
"From Rmeish, we heard a blast and then saw a UNIFIL car zipping by. The foreign observers were taken to hospitals in Tyre and Beirut by helicopter and car," Milad said.
One of the observers was a Norwegian citizen, who was lightly injured, the Nordic country's defense ministry told Reuters. Lebanon's National News Agency said the other two wounded observers were Chilean and Australian.
Israel's shelling of Lebanon has killed nearly 270 Hezbollah fighters, but has also killed around 50 civilians - including children, medics and journalists - and hit both UNIFIL and the Lebanese army.
UNIFIL last month said that the Israeli military violated international law by firing on a group of clearly identifiable journalists, killing Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah.
The UN's Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, said in a statement that she was "saddened" to learn of the injuries and that the incident served as "another reminder of the urgent need to return to a cessation of hostilities across the Blue Line".
The US and other countries have sought to secure a diplomatic resolution to the exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel. Hezbollah said it will not halt fire before a ceasefire is implemented in Gaza.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the explosion and called for the safety of peacekeepers to be ensured, according to a statement from UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
"These hostile actions have not only disrupted the livelihoods of thousands of people, but they also pose a grave threat to the security and stability of Lebanon, Israel, and the region," Dujarric said.
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