- October 11, 2024
- 7:51 pm
- Middle East
Ukraine expressed concern about Israeli shelling of the positions of UNIFIL, the temporary UN force in southern Lebanon, as a result of which representatives of the international mission were injured. Ukraine called on all parties to the conflict to ensure the safety of UN agencies and their representatives.
This is stated in statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
“This incident is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution No. 1701 of 2006. We call on all parties to the conflict to ensure complete security and respect the immunity of UN agencies and their representatives,” the department said in a statement.
The United Nations has accused Israel of striking the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon and two other mission sites in the south of the country. Two peacekeepers were injured in an attack by an Israeli Merkava tank. The effects of strikes on other UN interim force positions were also seen.
On October 6, Israel offered to move peacekeepers from the zone in southern Lebanon, but this proposal was rejected by UNIFIL.
The IDF launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon on the evening of September 30. Israel has declared a closed military zone in three areas in the north of the country near the border with Lebanon. The reason for the start of the ground operation was that Hezbollah was planning an attack, and the Israeli army had to take action. The IDF called on Lebanese civilians to urgently evacuate more than two dozen settlements in the south of the country.
Since the start of the ground operation, Israel has killed 440 Hezbollah militants. The country's armed forces attack command centers, weapons depots, tunnels and other terrorist targets.