NEW DELHI, Oct 13: India has joined the dozens of other peacekeeping nations that contribute to the UN force in Lebanon, have strongly condemned recent attacks on the peacekeepers stationed in the country amid Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah.
“Such actions must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated,” said a joint statement signed by nations including leading contributors Indonesia and Italy. Other signatories include Ghana, Nepal, Malaysia, Spain and France — all countries that have contributed several hundred troops to the force.
At least five peacekeepers have been wounded in recent days as Israel takes its fight against Iran-backed Hezbollah into southern Lebanon which has stoked fear of larger conflict in the West Asia region. The peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, has accused the Israeli military of “deliberately” firing on its positions.
Earlier on Friday, India expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in southern Lebanon following reports that UN peacekeepers were wounded in an Israeli strike. “We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line. We continue to monitor the situation closely,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in a statement.
Without naming anyone directly, the MEA underlined that everyone must respect the inviolability of UN premises. “Inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all, and appropriate measures are taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate,” the ministry said. This statement came as more than 900 Indian troops are currently serving in the United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry said on Saturday that Israeli air strikes on three sites had killed at least 15 people, raising an earlier toll. Israel had earlier told residents of south Lebanon not to return home, as its troops fought Hezbollah militants in a war that has killed more than 1,200 people since September 23.
More than a million people have been forced to flee their homes, Lebanese authorities say. Hezbollah said it had fired missiles into northern Israel, where air raid sirens sounded and the military said it had intercepted a projectile. The Iran-backed militants have stepped up their attacks on targets in and around Israel’s main northern city of Haifa.
In a joint statement, the 40 contributing countries reaffirmed their “full support for UNIFIL’s mission and activities, whose principal aim is to bring stabilization and lasting peace in South Lebanon as well as in the Middle East.” “We urge the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL’s presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times,” it added.
UNIFIL, which involves about 9,500 troops of some 50 nationalities, is tasked with monitoring a ceasefire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah. Its role was bolstered by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 of that year, which stipulated that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should be deployed in south Lebanon.
At a summit on Friday, French, Italian and Spanish leaders said the “attacks” on UNIFIL peacekeepers violated Resolution 1701 and must end. UNIFIL said in recent days its forces have “repeatedly” come under fire in the Lebanese town of Naqura where it is headquartered, as well as in other positions. The mission said that Israeli tank fire on Thursday caused two Indonesian peacekeepers to fall off a watch tower in Naqura.
The following day it said explosions close to an observation tower in Naqura wounded two Sri Lankan Blue Helmets, while Israel said it had responded to an “immediate threat” near a UN peacekeeping position. On Saturday UNIFIL said a peacekeeper in Naqura “was hit by gunfire” on Friday night.
(Manas Dasgupta)