French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot strongly criticized Israel for what he termed as “serious incidents” targeting the French contingent working with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the Naqoura region. Barrot expressed outrage at the security breaches and acts of intimidation by Israeli soldiers against UN personnel, emphasizing that such actions are unacceptable and unjustifiable, especially given the adherence to deconfliction procedures.
Barrot also denounced the fatal shootings that claimed the life of an Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeeper and injured three others on Sunday, along with an explosion that resulted in the deaths of two Indonesian peacekeepers and injuries to two more on Monday, as reported by Xinhua news agency. He called for an immediate meeting of the United Nations Security Council in response to the grave incidents faced by UNIFIL peacekeepers.
In addition, Barrot urged all parties to uphold UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and ensure the safety of UN personnel, emphasizing the need for UNIFIL to carry out its mandate effectively and have unrestricted movement. While UNIFIL did not directly attribute the attacks to Israel pending an investigation, reports from Lebanon’s National News Agency and local media suggested that Israeli artillery shelling targeted the Indonesian unit’s headquarters within UNIFIL on Sunday.
Indonesia confirmed the casualties within UNIFIL and reiterated its condemnation of Israel’s military actions in southern Lebanon. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also strongly condemned the attacks, labeling them as serious violations of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701. Tensions have escalated along the Lebanon-Israel border since March 2, following Hezbollah’s rocket launch towards Israel, leading to retaliatory Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon.
