UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned on Saturday (the 18th) the attack that killed a French peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and wounded three others in the same incident, his spokesperson said in a statement.
“Attacks against peacekeepers must stop. They constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), and may amount to war crimes,” the statement, released by spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, said.
Guterres reiterated his call on all parties to fulfill their obligations under international law, ensure the safety of United Nations personnel and the inviolability of its property, and respect UNIFIL’s freedom of movement, the statement added.
“All attacks against peacekeepers must be promptly investigated, and those responsible must be effectively prosecuted and held accountable,” he emphasized.
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Peacekeepers came under fire from non-state actors, presumably Hezbollah, while investigating a site where improvised explosive devices had allegedly been planted on a road between two United Nations positions in the mission’s area of operations in southern Lebanon, according to an initial assessment by UNIFIL.
This is the third incident in recent weeks to result in the death of UNIFIL personnel and occurred despite a 10-day ceasefire announced on April 16, the statement said, calling on all parties to respect the truce.
“The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased peacekeeper, as well as to the Government and people of the French Republic. He wishes a speedy and full recovery to the wounded,” the statement concludes.
