Paris, March 17 (SANA) France’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the gunfire targeting United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel, describing the attacks by “non-state armed groups” as unacceptable.
The ministry said in a statement on Monday that all parties must exercise restraint and return to the ceasefire agreed on November 26, 2024, and fully comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, stressing the need to enable UNIFIL to fully implement its mandate and ensure its freedom of movement.
It added that the protection of UN personnel, facilities and property must be guaranteed under international law and Resolution 1701.
UNIFIL said that its peacekeepers were fired upon in three separate incidents near their positions in several areas, with the gunfire coming from armed groups possibly not affiliated with the Lebanese state, adding that patrols returned fire in self-defense and that no peacekeepers were injured.
UNIFIL was established in 1978 following the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon and later expanded after the 2006 war under Resolution 1701, with more than 10,000 troops deployed to monitor the cessation of hostilities and support the Lebanese army in extending its authority south of the Litani River.
In August, the UN Security Council extended UNIFIL’s mandate for a final time until December 31, 2026, with the aim of making the Lebanese army the sole guarantor of security in southern Lebanon.
R.A
