Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for UN Peace Operations, traveled to Lebanon and Israel last week and has been briefing reporters at the Spokesperson's noon briefing in New York about his trip as well providing the latest updates from southern Lebanon.
He has been telling reporters that, just today, there were three separate incidents impacting peacekeepers in the south.
In one incident, four peacekeepers from Ghana sustained minor injuries when an artillery shell exploded within a UN position near Ramyah.
A separate patrol encountered a roadblock in the village of Khirbat Silim. While bypassing the obstacle, the patrol came under small arms fire from an unknown individual. There were no casualties.
In a third incident, UNIFIL Sector West Headquarters in Shama was impacted by five rockets, which struck a maintenance workshop.
UNIFIL has launched investigations into each of these incidents, the mission said in a press statement and has also informed the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Respect for inviolability of peacekeepers
"UNIFIL once again reminds all actors involved in the ongoing hostilities to respect the inviolability of United Nations peacekeepers and premises. The pattern of regular attacks – direct or indirect – against peacekeepers must end immediately.”
Despite the attacks, peacekeepers remain in all positions and will continue to impartially monitor and report on violations of resolution 1701.
Read our full explainer here on that 2006 resolution that was central to ending the war between Hezbollah and Israel but which has never been fully implemented.
