EU condemns all attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, awaits explanation from Israeli authorities

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – The European Union has condemned all attacks on UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon and "awaits an explanation" from Israeli authorities regarding last week's attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), according to the EU's foreign policy chief.

On behalf of the member states, Josep Borrell said in a late Sunday statement that the bloc "condemns all attacks against UN missions."

“It expresses particularly grave concern regarding the attacks by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which left several peacekeepers wounded,” Borrell said, describing the attacks as a “grave violation of international law,” and “totally unacceptable.”

“We urgently await explanations and a thorough investigation from the Israeli authorities about the attacks against UNIFIL, which plays a fundamental role in the stability of South Lebanon,” the statement read.

The EU also urged all parties to guarantee the security of UNIFIL staff, noting that the mission comprised staff members from 16 EU member states.

“The EU reiterates its call for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon, and for all parties to commit and work towards the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701,” the statement added.

UNIFIL was established in March 1978 to confirm Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and assist the Lebanese government in restoring authority in the area. Its mandate has been expanded over the years, particularly after the 2006 Israeli war, to monitor cease-fires and facilitate humanitarian aid.

Israel has mounted massive airstrikes across Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23, killing at least 1,437 people, injuring over 4,123 others, and displacing more than 1.34 million people.

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 more than 42,200 people, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

Despite international warnings that the Mideast was on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, it expanded the conflict on Oct. 1 by launching a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.