“Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law and may constitute a war crime”, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was quoted in a statement by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Sunday night
"UNIFIL personnel and its premises must never be targeted," Dujarric said referring to the blue-helmeted international force, adding that “in a deeply worrying incident that occurred today (Sunday), the entrance door of a UN position was also deliberately breached by Israeli armored vehicles”.
At least five peacekeepers have been wounded in recent days in Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon.
On Saturday, 40 countries contributing to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon issued a joint statement, condemned Israeli attacks on the mission and called for an investigation into the incidents.
Spain, France and Italy had already slammed the attacks as "unjustifiable." On Friday, US President Joe Biden also said he had urged Israel to stop targeting peacekeepers.
Meanwhile, Turkiye said Israel's attacks on UNIFIL were an expression of Netanyahu's occupation policy in Lebanon.
The role of UN peacekeepers is very important, especially in light of the fact that Israel is seeking to expand the war in the region, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, adding that the United Nations Security Council must prevent the attack on the forces affiliated with the world body.
UNIFIL, a mission of about 9,500 troops of various nationalities created following Israel's 1978 invasion of Lebanon, has accused the Israeli military of "deliberately" firing on its positions.
Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Guterres on Sunday to move peacekeepers out of "harm's way", claiming Hezbollah was using them as "human shields". UNIFIL has refused to leave its positions.
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