EU condemns Israeli attack on UN peacekeepers

The European Union has condemned an Israeli attack that put at risk a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy and "left several peacekeepers wounded.”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell made the statement on Friday, a day after six Malaysian peacekeepers were injured by an Israeli drone strike that killed three Lebanese people in a car nearby.

Borrell said, “All parties must ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and allow them to carry out their vital mission under UNIFIL’s mandate.”

He also said that the latest “Israeli attacks on Lebanon have resulted in at least 53 deaths and over 160 injuries in the past 24 hours.”

“The EU calls for an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians. All parties must prioritize the safety and well-being of both the people of Lebanon and Israel,” he said.

Israeli strikes kill civilians, injure UN peacekeeper, soldiers in Lebanon

The latest Israeli attack on a coastal city in southern Lebanon killed at least three people on Thursday,

Forty countries contributing to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon demand an immediate halt to Israel’s attacks on peacekeepers.

Several members of the mission, known as UNIFIL, have been wounded in south Lebanon in recent days amid Israel’s invasion of the country.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has accused the Israeli military on several occasions of deliberately attacking its bases in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL has reported over 40 attacks resulting in property damage or injuries among its forces in southern Lebanon, amid Israel’s calls for the mission to vacate its positions.

The deputy spokesperson for UNIFIL, Kandice Ardiel, said eight attacks were confirmed to have originated from the Israeli army, which requested that UNIFIL evacuate 29 sites near the Blue Line.

The spokesperson said the UN mission is committed to staying in the area despite having witnessed several deliberate attacks.

Israel launched a ground assault and massive air campaign against Lebanon in late September after a year of exchanging fire across the Lebanese border in parallel with the Gaza war.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the last year, the vast majority in the past six weeks.

A recent UN report said the attacks have claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people, which was “58 percent more than the 1,900 fatalities” that were caused by the regime’s 2006 war against Lebanon.

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