UN Security Council voices concerns over fire on peacekeeper positions in Lebanon

The United Nations Security Council has voiced “strong concerns” over incidents in which UN peacekeepers in Lebanon have been injured amid Israel’s military offensive against the Hezbollah terror group.

“Against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities along the Blue Line, the members of the Security Council expressed their strong concerns after several UNIFIL positions came under fire in the past days. Several peacekeepers have been wounded,” says the council’s rotating presidency, currently Switzerland’s UN ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl.

In the statement, which does not single out Israel, the 15 council members “urged all parties to respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises. They recalled that UN peacekeepers and UN premises must never be the target of an attack.”

Israel says it is targeting Hezbollah members near peacekeeper positions, insisting that the Blue Helmets temporarily seek shelter away from the fighting. The force has said it will remain across southern Lebanon.

The council’s statement follows two closed-door meetings on the deteriorating situation in Lebanon.