Nations Condemn UN Peacekeeper Killings in Lebanon, Urge Immediate Halt to Fighting
Washington— Canada, the United Kingdom and eight other countries on Tuesday condemned the killing of United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon and called for an immediate end to hostilities, as violence linked to the widening regional conflict continues to escalate.
In a joint statement, the group including Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Sierra Leone and Switzerland expressed deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation and growing displacement crisis in Lebanon, where Israeli military operations have intensified since early March.
The statement follows the deaths of three Indonesian personnel serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. The United Nations said preliminary findings from its investigation indicated that one peacekeeper was killed by an Israeli tank projectile, while two others were killed by an improvised explosive device likely planted by Hezbollah.
“We condemn in the strongest terms actions that have killed UN peacekeepers and significantly increased the risks faced by humanitarian personnel in southern Lebanon,” the countries said, without directly attributing responsibility to either Israel or Hezbollah in their statement.
Israel intensified its air campaign in Lebanon after Hezbollah launched missiles toward Israeli territory on March 2, days after the outbreak of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
The Israeli military has since expanded ground operations in southern Lebanon, prompting large-scale displacement.According to Lebanese authorities, more than 2,000 people have been killed and approximately 1.2 million displaced since the escalation began.
Israeli officials say that Hezbollah attacks have killed two civilians and 13 soldiers, with strikes targeting both border areas and major urban centers.The countries also welcomed the ongoing ceasefire between the United States, Israel and Iran, describing it as a step toward de-escalation, while stressing the need to extend calm to Lebanon.
Iran has said that any broader agreement to end the regional conflict must include a cessation of hostilities in Lebanon.
Israel, however, has rejected linking the two fronts and has called on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah as a condition for any ceasefire.
