Beirut. Two blue helmets from Finul, the UN force deployed between Lebanon and Israel, were injured by “shots from an Israeli tank” against their headquarters in southern Lebanon, the United Nations mission indicated this Thursday.
Finul has about 10,000 peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon, and has persistently called for a truce since the escalation between Israel and the Lebanese pro-Iran Hezbollah movement intensified on September 23.
“This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an Israeli army Merkava tank fired at an observation tower of the Finul headquarters in Ras al Naqura, hitting it directly,” Finul said in its statement.
Finul indicated that the injured are Indonesians and that they “remain in the hospital,” but their injuries “are not serious.”
The Italian Defense Minister, Guido Crosetto, denounced an “intolerable” act and summoned the Israeli ambassador. Italy is the Western country that contributes the most troops to this contingent, with nearly 900 soldiers mobilized.
Italy and France called a meeting next week with Spain and Ireland, the other European countries that also contribute troops to this mission.
“Very serious violation” of international humanitarian law: Spain
The shots fired by Israeli troops that hit the UN force deployed in Lebanon (Finul) are “a very serious violation of international humanitarian law,” the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday, demanding that the security of the blue helmets be “guaranteed.”
“The Government of Spain strongly condemns the Israeli shots that hit the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqura and injured two peacekeepers,” the Ministry wrote in a brief statement.
“The attacks on peacekeeping operations are a very serious violation of International Humanitarian Law and Security Council Resolution 1701,” the note added.
This resolution, which was passed at the end of the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah, stipulates that only peacekeeping forces and the Lebanese army be deployed in southern Lebanon.
Spain has, on its side, 600 soldiers in Finul, which since 2022 has been led by a Spanish general.
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