The UN mission in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported this Saturday that one of its soldiers was injured by gunfire at its headquarters in Naqoura, in the south of the country, bringing the number of wounded peacekeepers to five. in the last three days. UNIFIL has assured that in this case it does not know the origin of the shots, although it has attributed the rest of the incidents to the Israeli Army.
The Israeli Defense Forces have also attacked two Lebanese villages this day with bombings that have caused the death of at least nine people and left another 28 injured, while their offensive on Gaza has left another 19 dead. In total, Israel claims that it has attacked 280 Hezbollah and Hamas targets in Lebanese territory and the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours.
UNIFIL has stated in a statement on developed in the vicinity.”
The mission has not yet specified the nationality of the wounded soldier, although it has stated that “he underwent surgery at our hospital in Naqoura to remove the bullet and is currently stable.” The statement added that UNIFIL buildings in the southern Lebanese town of Ramyah have also suffered “significant damage due to explosions from nearby shelling.”
“We remind all actors of their obligations to ensure the security of United Nations personnel and facilities, which includes avoiding combat activities near UNIFIL positions,” the mission, which has some 10,000 military personnel, reiterated. from several countries and is under the command of a Spanish general.
A total of 34 countries signed a statement this Saturday in which they request, at the initiative of Poland, the protection of all blue helmets present in Lebanon. “We condemn all recent incidents, we ask for respect for the UNIFIL peace mission and the security guarantees of all its personnel,” states the text, which has the support of the Spanish Government.
Biden asked Netanyahu not to attack the UN headquarters in Lebanon
Israel’s attacks against the headquarters of the United Nations mission in Lebanon began hours after the first telephone conversation between the president of the United States, Joe Biden, and his Israeli counterpart. It was the first talk between the two since August and according to the White House, Biden asked Netanyahu not to attack the UNIFIL headquarters.
“Absolutely,” Biden answered when asked if he had asked Israel to respect the United Nations mission. However, attacks have occurred. The United States, together with France, had requested just two weeks ago a 21-day ceasefire, immediately, to try to stop the risk of escalation in the region with an Israeli incursion into Lebanon.
Like previous calls for a pause in the conflict, this one also failed and now the threat stalks the blue helmets in Lebanon. The peace mission is in the country in compliance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel. The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip against Hamas has thus extended beyond the border between Israel and Lebanon, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to end the Shiite militia Hezbollah.
For three weeks, Israel has been carrying out a campaign of ground raids and intense bombing against the south and east of Lebanon, as well as Beirut, which caused the death of most of the more than 2,200 people who lost their lives in the Lebanon since October 2023. The conflict worsened on October 1 with the ground invasion of the Israeli Army into southern Lebanon, accompanied by an intensification of Israeli bombings in the neighboring country.
This Saturday, Israel bombed the villages of Barja, south of Beirut, and Maaysrah, north of the Lebanese capital. According to the balance of victims provided by the country’s Ministry of Public Health, the first of the attacks left an initial toll of four dead and fourteen injured, to which another five dead and fourteen people were injured in the second location.
At least 19 dead in several Israeli attacks in Gaza
Last night’s Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip have caused the death of at least 19 people in the Jabalia region, where thousands of people are taking refuge, according to Gaza health authorities. The Reuters agency has reported that Israel has attacked the area by land and air while issuing new evacuation orders for Gazans.
Hamas, for its part, has asked the population not to move to the north of the Strip despite Israel’s requests and has denounced that “the occupation forces are carrying out bombings and murders every day in the same areas.” that ensures that they are safe.”
Source: www.eldiario.es
