By Necva Tastan Sevinc
ISTANBUL (AA) - France has condemned rocket attacks on a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base that injured four peacekeepers, three of whom were hospitalized.
"France condemns the firing of rockets - probably by Hezbollah - which hit two positions of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon on 19 November," according to a written statement from the French Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.
Paris also reiterated its call for all parties to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and to ensure an immediate cease-fire to enable displaced persons to return home.
Recalling that on Tuesday, a rocket struck a UNIFIL base, injuring four peacekeepers, it added that on the same day, a UNIFIL patrol involving French soldiers also came under fire, though no injuries were reported.
The statement stressed the necessity of ensuring UNIFIL's freedom of movement to fully carry out its mission.
UNIFIL reported three attacks on Nov. 19 in southern Lebanon, including a rocket strike on its "UNP 5-42" base near the village of Ramiyeh, which injured four Ghanaian peacekeepers. It indicated that the rocket was likely fired by non-state actors, pointing to the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701 mandates Israel's withdrawal behind the Blue Line and the disarmament of the area between this line and Lebanon's Litani River, limiting the presence of weapons and military equipment to those of the Lebanese army and UNIFIL.