United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon condemns attack as ‘deeply uncomfortable’, no soldiers were hurt.
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon has actually stated that Israeli fire struck among its patrols in the nation’s south, regardless of a truce in between Israel and Hamas mostly quietening the Lebanon-Israel frontier.
“At around 12:00 pm, a UNIFIL patrol was struck by [Israeli army] shooting” in the area of Aitarun, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon stated in a declaration on Saturday.
“No peacekeepers were hurt, however the lorry was harmed,” it stated, including that “this occurrence happened throughout a duration of relative calm” along the border in between Israel and Lebanon.
Because the Israel-Palestine dispute started on October 7, the frontier in between Lebanon and Israel has actually seen heightening exchanges of fire, primarily in between Israel and Shia motion Hezbollah, however likewise Palestinian groups, raising worries of a more comprehensive blaze.
The scope of the border combating has actually slowly increased over the weeks, however it has actually not turned into a full-blown war. In the beginning, the 2 sides began striking each other with weapons attacks, and Israel likewise generated its drones.
A four-day truce in between Israel and Hamas started on Friday, and a source near to Hezbollah informed the AFP news firm that the Iran-backed group would likewise follow the truce if Israel did.
UNIFIL stated “this attack on peacekeepers, devoted to decreasing stress and bring back stability in south Lebanon, is deeply unpleasant,” including, “we condemn this act.”
Today at around 12 pm, a UNIFIL patrol was struck by IDF shooting in the area of Aytaroun, in southern Lebanon.
No peacekeepers were hurt, however the lorry was harmed. This occurrence happened throughout a duration of relative calm along heaven Line.
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) November 25, 2023
Last month, shelling gently injured a UN peacekeeper near the border town of Hula, simply hours after UNIFIL stated a shell struck its head office in Naqura near the Israel-Lebanon border.
The force stated it was examining those occurrences.
“We highly advise the celebrations of their responsibilities to secure peacekeepers and prevent putting the guys and ladies who are working to bring back stability at danger,” Saturday’s UNIFIL declaration stated.
Cross-border fire has actually eliminated 109 individuals in Lebanon, consisting of 77 Hezbollah fighters and 14 civilians, 3 of them reporters, according to an AFP count.
6 Israeli soldiers and 3 civilians have actually been eliminated on the Israeli side, according to the authorities.
Even as numerous Lebanese might feel for the predicament of Palestinians, they likewise fear getting knotted in a brand-new dispute, lots of having currently experienced the 2006 war in which more than 1,200 individuals were eliminated in Lebanon, a number of them civilians. A minimum of 165 Israelis were likewise eliminated.
Considering that the time out entered into result on Friday, calm has actually mostly gone back to Lebanon’s southern border.
UNIFIL was established in 1978 to keep track of the withdrawal of Israeli forces after they got into Lebanon in reprisal for a Palestinian attack.
It was strengthened after the dispute in between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, and its approximately 10,000 peacekeepers are entrusted with keeping track of the ceasefire in between the 2 sides.
Source
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Al Jazeera and news firms