UN peacekeeping officials reaffirm UNIFIL’s presence despite Israeli occupation demands

The United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix has confirmed that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon would remain in Lebanon despite calls from the Israeli occupation forces to vacate sites near the Blue Line. This statement followed closed-door consultations held by the UN Security Council on Monday evening, in which Lacroix participated, discussing the recent incidents involving UNIFIL, which took place over the past few days, resulted in injuries to four peacekeepers. Lacroix emphasized that the decision to keep UNIFIL in its positions was made after careful consideration, taking into account several factors, including the mission's responsibility to uphold the mandate granted by the Security Council. He added that there was hope to return to negotiations, with the aim of eventually making real efforts to fully implement the Security Council's resolution. Lacroix conveyed the unanimous support of Security Council members for UNIFIL, which has raised concerns over these incidents and reminded all parties of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers. He also noted that the situation was being reviewed on a daily basis by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which was in constant communication with the UNIFIL commander and the mission's team. He reiterated calls for all parties to honor their international obligations regarding the protection of peacekeepers. Lacroix stressed the importance of ensuring that all UNIFIL movements are coordinated and approved by all relevant parties, including Israeli occupation forces. On Tuesday, UNIFIL announced that two peacekeepers were injured when the Israeli occupation forces targeted a UN observation post in Lebanon, and a second observation post was also hit by a Merkava tank shell, resulting in injuries to two more peacekeepers. Source: Kuwait News Agency