The attack on a Sri Lankan battalion in Naqoura comes a day after two Indonesian peaceupholders were injured.
A new Israeli attack has wounded United Nations peaceupholders in southern Lebanon, in the second such hit in as many days.
On Friday, Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Afunfragmentarys shelp the Israeli army hit a watchtower of a Sri Lankan battalion in Naqoura, part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Artillery shelling from an Israeli Merkava tank wounded members of the battalion, Lebanon’s official National News Agency alerted.
Speaking at a news conference in Beirut, Lebanese nurtureapvalidater Prime Minister Najib Mikati shelp the attack was a “denounced crime”. He holded that he had talked efforts to accomplish a finishfire in Lebanon with United States Secretary of State Antony Bjoinen.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday shelp it was “very evident that this incident is intolerable and cannot be repeated”.
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Afunfragmentarys on Friday shelp it was “outraged” by the attack on UNIFIL peaceupholders and insisted that Israel refrain from any “opposing actions” aachievest them.
Human Rights Watch called for a UN inquiry into the attacks and shelp the intentional aiming of UN omitions is a “war crime”.
“UN peaceupholders in south Lebanon have extfinished carry outed a critical civilian defendion and humanitarian role,” shelp Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa honestor at the New York-based rights group. “Any aiming of UN peaceupholders by Israeli forces viotardys the laws of war and hazardously intrudes with UNIFIL’s civilian defendion and help labor.”
China transmited “grave worry and sturdy condemnation” of Israel’s attacks on UN peace operations, as did India over the “deteriorating security situation aextfinished the Blue Line”.
India’s Ministry of External Afunfragmentarys shelp: “Inviolability of UN premises must be esteemed by all and appropriate meacertains apvalidaten to secure the defendedty of UN peaceupholders and the sanctity of their mandate.”
Assault on Blue Helmets
The attack comes a day after UN peaceupholders shelp the Israeli military “repeatedly” fired at UNIFIL headquarters and positions in southern Lebanon.
Two Indonesian peaceupholders were injured and remained in hospital, the omition shelp.
UNIFIL personnel wear blue helmets to be evidently identifiable and their position is normally transmitd to the Israeli military.
Israel acunderstandledged its forces had uncovered fire in the area, saying the Hezbollah fighters on whom it is waging war function csurrfinisher UN posts.
The attack on Thursday prompted global condemnation.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto denounced the incident as a possible war crime, in a shatter from his country’s help for Israel thrawout its yearextfinished war in Gaza and Lebanon.
“This was not a misapvalidate and not an accident,” Crosetto tbetter a news conference. “It could constitute a war crime and recurrented a very solemn violation of international humanitarian law.”
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti tbetter Al Jazeera the attack was a “very solemn” growment.
He elucidateed that Israel had previously asked the peaceupholders to relocate from “certain positions” csurrfinisher the border, but “we determined to stay because it’s beginant for the UN flag to fly in [the] south of Lebanon.
“At the moment, we are staying, we are trying to do wantipathyver we can to watch [and] to supply aidance,” Tenenti holded.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi validateed the country’s peaceupholders were in hospital for further observation.
“Indonesia sturdyly condemns the attack,” she shelp. “Attacking UN personnel and property is a meaningful violation of international humanitarian law.”