The opening to a Hezbollah tunnel shaft which Israel’s military says is 200 metres away from a UN post and within 1km from Lebanon’s border with Israel, in southern Lebanon, on October 13, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

In the backdrop of back to back attacks on the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL), UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres cautioned that attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law and “may constitute a war crime.” Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin, in a telephonic conversation with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant reiterated the importance of ensuring the safety and security of UNIFIL forces and Lebanese armed forces.

“The safety of UN personnel & property must be guaranteed. The inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times. Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law and may constitute a war crime. UNIFIL personnel & premises must never be targeted,” Mr. Guterres said on social media X.

As Israeli forces in Lebanon were hit by a drone attack by Hezbollah which killed four soldiers, Mr. Austin reinforced the need to “pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway as soon as feasible.” “I also raised the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed that steps must be taken to address it. I reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering, enduring, and ironclad commitment to Israel’s security,” he said in a post on X at 7 a.m. on Monday.

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Against the backdrop of the ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon and despite attacks that have hit U.N. positions, injuring a number of peacekeepers in the past several days, “UNIFIL peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly,” Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General said in a statement.

He said that UNIFIL continuously assesses and reviews all factors to determine its posture and presence and the mission is taking all possible measures to ensure the protection of its peacekeepers. “UNIFIL’s role and its presence in southern Lebanon is mandated by the UN Security Council. In this context, UNIFIL is committed to preserving its capacity to support a diplomatic solution based on resolution 1701, which is the only possible way forward.”

Referring to Sunday’s incident in which the entrance to a U.N. position was breached by Israeli armoured vehicles, Mr. Dujarric said, “The Secretary-General reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times without qualification.”

The Spokesman said that the SG calls on all parties, including the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), to refrain from any and all actions that put our peacekeepers at risk.

The UNIFIL which has over 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries was hit on four consecutive days from Thursday to Sunday injuring several peacekeepers.