The United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon (FINUL) said a patrol with French and Finnish soldiers was attacked on Saturday with gunfire “possibly from non-state actors”, and there were no injuries. In a statement, FINUL said that the patrol was initially faced with the refusal of a group of individuals (one of them armed) to their freedom of movement, while they were patrolling the village of Bedias, but managed to continue on the planned route.
About an hour later, when the patrol had just crossed the village of Maarakeh, east of the city of Tyre, “it was shot around 40 times in the back, probably by non-state actors”. The head of the mission ordered the patrol to quickly leave the area, without abandoning the planned route, and go safely to a UNIFIL base in Deir Kifa.
“Although some patrol vehicles had bullet holes, there were no injuries among the peacekeeping forces,” the mission clarified, adding that it had opened an investigation into the incident and informed the Lebanese Army of what had happened.
FINUL considers it “unacceptable” that its forces are regularly targeted by attacks while carrying out tasks ordered by the Security Council and states that these episodes are a reminder of the dangerous situation in which these soldiers operate daily in southern Lebanon. FINUL says it is the responsibility of the Lebanese authorities to ensure that members of the peacekeeping mission can carry out “without fear or threats” the tasks entrusted to them.
Benjamin Netanyahu
Anna Moneymaker
War in the Middle East
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Hamas Health Ministry updates Gaza death toll to 43,846
The Ministry of Health of the Hamas government in Gaza updated the death toll in the Palestinian territory to 43,846 since the start of the war with Israel, more than a year ago.
At least 72 Palestinians have been killed in recent hours in Israeli bombings against several residential buildings in the city of Beit Lahia, in the north of the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas Government, which estimates that, since the start of the war, 103,740 people have been injured in the Gaza Strip.
According to the entity, this Sunday’s attacks also killed 24 people in the Nuseirat and Bureij camps. According to the statement, another 60 Gazans were injured in the two attacks on the Nuseirat and Bureij camps, and some of the victims were taken to Al Awda Hospital and Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al- Balah.
In early October, Israeli troops resumed their offensive against northern Gaza for the third time, with the aim, according to military sources, of preventing Hamas from regrouping in the area. Since then, around 2,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to local figures, and the area’s three main hospitals are only partially functioning after being attacked by Israeli forces.
Other news:
⇒ Hezbollah’s main spokesman was killed in an Israeli attack in Beirut, Lebanon, according to a source from the pro-Iranian movement. Mohammed Afif was an especially visible figure following Israel’s military escalation in September and following the assassination of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
⇒ Pope Francis calls for investigation into genocide in Gaza in his new book “Hope never disappoints” and the first excerpts of which were published in the daily “La Stampa”, this Sunday. “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has characteristics of genocide. It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits the technical definition formulated by jurists and international organizations”, points out the pontiff in the book.
⇒ The Lebanese government condemned the death of two more Lebanese soldiers in Israeli attacks and indicated that 36 soldiers have died since October last year, due to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. A military source told the EFE agency that 35 of these 36 soldiers have died since September 23, when Israel’s bombing campaign began in Lebanon.
Source: expresso.pt
