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UN Says Israeli Fire Targeted Peacekeepers' Vehicle in Lebanon
(MENAFN) The United Nations on Monday flagged an escalating crisis along Lebanon's southern frontier, describing the situation as "volatile" following a weekend of intensified Israeli military operations that included airstrikes, naval maneuvers, and a direct incident involving UN peacekeepers.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric delivered the warning during a press briefing, outlining a pattern of activity that has raised serious concerns over regional stability and the safety of international forces deployed in the area. "Over the weekend, UNIFIL observed intensive IDF activity, including extensive airstrikes near a number of villages in the south, as well as continued naval activity off the coast of Naqoura," said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric during a news conference.
The situation on the ground took a more alarming turn on Friday, when Israeli tanks moved to obstruct roadways during active UNIFIL patrol operations near Al Bayyadah, effectively curtailing the peacekeeping force's ability to move freely through the area.
The incident escalated further when Israeli forces opened fire in proximity to a UN position. Dujarric said that Israeli forces' "machine gun fire impacted a UNIFIL position near At-Tiri, in the Bint Jbeil district, with one round striking a vehicle inside the compound."
The UN drew a firm line in response to the targeting of its personnel, invoking long-standing principles of international law governing the protection of peacekeeping forces. "Peacekeepers must never be targeted, and their safety and security must be guaranteed at all times," he said.
The incidents mark a troubling intensification of friction between Israeli forces and UNIFIL — the UN peacekeeping mission that has operated in southern Lebanon for decades — as military activity in the region shows no signs of abating.
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