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India voices concern over Israeli fire on UN peacekeeper base in Lebanon
UN peacekeepers said Israeli fire on their headquarters in south Lebanon Thursday left two Blue Helmets injured.
India expressed concern Friday over the escalating security situation along the Blue Line, following reports of Israeli fire on a United Nations peacekeeper base in southern Lebanon, which resulted in injuries to UN personnel. In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stressed the need for respecting the inviolability of UN premises.
“We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line. We continue to monitor the situation closely,” the MEA said. “Inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all, and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate.”
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The statement follows growing international condemnation of Israeli attacks on UN positions in Lebanon, where the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) operates. Lebanon’s foreign ministry on Friday condemned what it called an Israeli "targeting" of UNIFIL’s main base in Ras Naqura, along with a Sri Lankan battalion’s base, which reportedly left several peacekeepers injured.
State media in Lebanon reported that Israeli artillery hit a UNIFIL watchtower and the command centre’s main entrance in Ras Naqura, inflicting damage. An Israeli Merkava tank was said to have targeted another UN tower along the main road between Tyre and Naqura.
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UNIFIL, which has been operating in the region since 1978, has yet to comment, but reports indicate that two peacekeepers from the force were injured in Thursday’s incident.
China, Italy reacts strongly
China condemned the attack and urged an investigation, stating that deliberate attacks on peacekeepers constitute violations of international humanitarian law. Italy, a major contributor of troops to UNIFIL, suggested that such actions "could constitute war crimes", while Washington said it was "deeply concerned".
