BEIRUT, July 6 (Xinhua) — The United Nations Forces operating in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced today (Thursday) that it is in contact with the authorities in Lebanon and Israel to prevent further escalation, and urged all parties to exercise restraint.
In a statement, UNIFIL said, “After eight o’clock in the morning local time (6 GMT), UNIFIL peacekeepers detected explosions near the Majidiyeh area in southern Lebanon.”
UNIFIL added that we could not confirm the source or cause of the explosions at that time, but we sent peacekeepers to investigate, as the sounds were consistent with the possibility of a missile being fired, and at noon we detected shells being fired from Israel at the Kafr Shuba area in Lebanon.
The statement stated that the UNIFIL Commander, Major General Aroldo Lazaro, is in contact with the authorities in Lebanon and Israel, and the liaison mechanisms are fully operational to prevent further escalation.
In its statement, UNIFIL indicated that this incident comes at a sensitive time and in an area that witnessed tensions earlier this week, and that we urge everyone to exercise restraint and avoid any action that may lead to further escalation.
Earlier today, unknown persons fired two rockets from the Lebanese side, but they did not cross the border between Lebanon and Israel. One rocket landed about 700 meters north of the occupied Ghajar town, and the second hit the western end of Bastra farm, south of Shebaa town.
After that, the Israeli artillery shelled the outskirts of the towns of Kfar Shuba, Halta and Majidiyeh in eastern southern Lebanon, which led to limited fires, and the damage was limited to some material.
The head of the Lebanese caretaker government, Najib Mikati, according to a statement issued by his office, had followed up the situation in the south through contacts with the army commander, General Joseph Aoun, and the leadership of the UNIFIL forces, from which he met with a delegation led by Major General Latharu.
The border line between Lebanon and Israel in the Shebaa Farms axis has been witnessing a state of great tension for some time, following an Israeli threat to remove two tents that were installed by Hezbollah members about two months ago, in an area that Israel considers within its borders, while the Lebanese side considers it a disputed area. /ts/
2023-07-06 15:06:17
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