Brussels, March 31 (SANA) – Ten European countries and the European Union on Tuesday called for ensuring the safety and security of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) after three peacekeepers were killed in separate incidents in southern Lebanon.
Foreign ministers from Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom, together with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, said in a joint statement that all parties must guarantee the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and facilities under all circumstances, according to Agence France-Presse.
The ministers reiterated their firm support for the mission and stressed the importance of maintaining channels for de-escalation, condemning what they described as “unacceptable loss of life.”
They also urged Israel to avoid further escalation, particularly by refraining from launching a ground operation on Lebanese territory, while condemning Hezbollah attacks against Israel carried out in support of Iran.
The statement further called on the Lebanese government to take irreversible and concrete measures to restore state authority across its entire territory, particularly with regard to ensuring the state’s exclusive control over weapons.
An Indonesian UN peacekeeper was killed Sunday when a projectile of unknown origin exploded near the border village of Adshit al-Qusayr. Two more peacekeepers were killed Monday in another blast near the border town of Bani Hayyan, while several others were injured.
UNIFIL, which includes about 8,200 troops from 47 countries, is deployed in southern Lebanon, where clashes have continued between Israel and Hezbollah amid broader regional tensions linked to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran since late February.
Kh.A
