Forty countries contributing to UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon condemn Israeli attacks

(Patria) - Forty nations contributing to the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Lebanon said on Saturday that they "strongly condemn the recent attacks" on the peacekeepers, AFP reported.

"Such actions must cease immediately and be adequately investigated," said a joint statement, posted on social media network X by the Polish UN mission and signed by nations including leading contributors Indonesia, Italy, and India. Other signatories include Ghana, Nepal, Malaysia, Spain, France, and China – all countries that have contributed several hundred soldiers to the force.

At least five peacekeepers have been injured in recent days as Israel wages a battle against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The UNIFIL peacekeeping mission has accused the Israeli army of "deliberately" targeting its positions.

The forty contributing countries "reaffirm our full support for the mission and activities of UNIFIL, whose main objective is to achieve stabilization and lasting peace in southern Lebanon, as well as in the Middle East," the statement said.

"We call on the parties to the conflict to respect the presence of UNIFIL, which includes the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times."

UNIFIL, which includes around 9,500 soldiers from about 50 nationalities, is tasked with monitoring the ceasefire that ended the 2006 thirty-day war between Israel and Hezbollah. Its role was enhanced by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from that year, which stipulated that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces should be deployed in southern Lebanon.

At a summit on Friday, the French, Italian, and Spanish leaders said that the "attacks" on the UNIFIL peacekeeping forces violated Resolution 1701 and must end.

UNIFIL stated that its forces have been "repeatedly" targeted by fire in recent days in the Lebanese town of Naqura, where its headquarters is located, as well as at other positions. The mission reported that Israeli tank fire on Thursday caused two Indonesian peacekeepers to fall from an observation post in Naqura.

The following day, it was reported that explosions near an observation post in Naqura injured two Sri Lankan peacekeepers, while Israel said it responded to an "immediate threat" near a UN peace position.

UNIFIL said on Saturday that a peacekeeper in Naqura was "hit by gunfire" on Friday evening. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told AFP that the work of the peacekeeping mission had become "very difficult due to a lot of damage, even inside the bases."