Follow-up – Al-Rashid
The peacekeeping forces (UNIFIL) announced on Sunday that its force had come under fire in the Lebanese town of Battle, without causing any casualties.
UNIFIL explained in a statement that the patrol, which included French and Finnish peacekeepers, was confronted yesterday while patrolling in the village of Badiyas – preventing freedom of movement by a group of individuals, at least one of whom was armed.
She indicated that the patrol was later able to overcome the obstacles and completed its planned route, but after about an hour, and immediately after crossing the town of Battle, “about 40 bullets were fired at it from behind, by individuals affiliated with non-governmental entities,” as she put it, in what is likely a reference. To Hezbollah members.
It confirmed that the patrol reached safety at a UNIFIL base in Deir Kifa, and immediately informed the Lebanese Armed Forces of the incident.
The Lebanese authorities held the responsibility for ensuring that the mission of peacekeepers was facilitated without fear or threat. It recalled that any attack against its soldiers constitutes a flagrant violation of international laws, especially Resolution 1701, which forms the basis of UNIFIL’s current mandate in southern Lebanon.
UNIFIL forces were fired upon several times during the recent period by Israeli forces, resulting in the injury of at least four soldiers.
It also confirmed that the Israeli army repeatedly asked it to evacuate its positions along the Blue Line, and deliberately destroyed cameras, lighting, and communications equipment in some of its positions in southern Lebanon.
It is noteworthy that these forces were established pursuant to UN Security Council Resolutions 425 and 426 issued on March 19, 1978, to confirm the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and to help the Lebanese government restore its effective authority in the region.
Following the July 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Security Council, in accordance with Resolution 1701, strengthened UNIFIL forces and assigned them additional tasks by working in close coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces in the south.
Meanwhile, its soldiers are still in their positions in southern Lebanon, despite the “ground operation” launched by Israel early last October, where its forces penetrated many towns on the Blue Line or the Lebanese-Israeli border.
