JAKARTA - The Deputy Secretary-General (Wasekjen) of the United Nations (UN) for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix has called on the parties to the conflict not to make peacekeepers the target of their attacks.
"We state it clearly and this needs to be repeated many times, peacekeepers should not be targeted. All actions that endanger peacekeepers must be stopped immediately," Lacroix said at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in New York, as monitored online in Jakarta, Wednesday early morning, quoted by Antara.
The emergency meeting was held at the request of Indonesia and France after the incident of an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon that killed three Indonesian soldiers who were part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
The attack came amid continued ground advances by Israeli forces and amid fierce clashes with Hezbollah; while unprecedented air raids continue to be reported.
Israeli forces control a large area north of the UN-charted demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon, so civilian casualties continue to rise as a result of the hostilities, including UNIFIL forces on the ground.
"The Secretary-General (Antonio Guterres) has strongly condemned the two horrific incidents that led to the deaths of three of our peacekeepers within 24 hours and several others seriously injured," Lacroix added.
The tragic incident should not have happened. He said UNIFIL is currently conducting an investigation to determine the developments of the deplorable incident.
"I express my deepest condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers and to the Government of Indonesia. I also hope that those who are injured will recover fully," said Lacroix.
He also asked all parties involved to comply with their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers at all times.
"The integrity of the UN installation must be respected," the French diplomat said.
Since Hezbollah claimed the attack on Israel on March 2, the group has carried out daily attacks, including rockets, missiles, and drones, on targets in Israel and the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
According to previous reports, Israeli forces have issued evacuation orders for the entire UNIFIL operation area and continue to carry out intensive daily attacks.
Lacroix said politicians in Israel are now openly discussing the intention to expand the so-called "security zone" or "buffer zone", by destroying villages along the demarcation line and several bridges over the Litani River.
"In just the past week, thousands of crossings have been observed in both directions as well as attacks from fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles," he said.
"The Israeli forces are advancing further into Lebanon and clashes are taking place, including in a location very close to the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura which has been the target of various impacts," Lacroix said.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
