Denmark condemns Israeli attacks on UN peacekeeping troops, positions in Lebanon

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen on Wednesday condemned Israel's military attacks on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) headquarters and critical positions of the peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon amid an escalating situation in the Middle East.

On Sunday, Israeli tanks forced entry at one of UNIFIL's positions in the latest series of violations and attacks by the Israeli military which injured several peacekeeping troops.

"I am deeply concerned about the reports of attacks directed at soldiers from the United Nations peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, in Lebanon. Any attack against UN peacekeeping forces is unacceptable. The protection of peacekeeping personnel and UN premises is the responsibility of all parties in a conflict," Rasmussen said in response to an email from Anadolu.

On Saturday, all forty countries contributing to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon “strongly” condemned the Israeli attacks and called for an investigation.

UNIFIL was established in 1978 to help restore peace in the region and to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

Israel has mounted a huge air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23, killing more than 1,500 people and displacing more than 1 million.

The aerial campaign is an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of its offensive on the Gaza Strip, in which Israel has killed nearly 42,400 people, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

Israel expanded the conflict on Oct. 1 by launching an incursion into southern Lebanon.