Israel fires on second UN post in Lebanon, wounding two peacekeepers

Unifil said its positions in southern Lebanon were “repeatedly hit” in the fighting. He highlighted an incident in which IDF soldiers fired at one of their positions in Labbouneh, near the Israeli border, “hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeeping forces were sheltering and damaging vehicles and a communications system.”

At a Security Council meeting, Britain’s UN ambassador, Barbara Woodward, said she was “gravely concerned” about Thursday’s attack, while France’s delegate expressed “deep concern.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the attack, saying before the latest incident that it was “intolerable and cannot be repeated”.

The head of UN peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, told the UN Security Council that peacekeepers are increasingly in danger.

Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Danon reiterated his country’s call for Unifil personnel to withdraw 5 kilometers north to “avoid danger” – but Lacroix said they would remain in position in accordance with their UN mandate.

Around 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries are stationed in Lebanon, along with around 800 civilian employees.

Since 1978, they have patrolled the area between the Litani River and the UN-recognized border between Lebanon and Israel – known as the “Blue Line”.