France Condemns Attack on UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon

ILLUSTRATION/ UN Peacekeeping Forces (UNIFIL) in Lebanon/ © UNIFIL

France condemned the attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and called on the warring parties to return to a ceasefire.

On Sunday (15/3), UNIFIL command said its troops were attacked, allegedly by an armed group not affiliated with the government, in three separate incidents while patrolling around locations in Yater, Deir Kifa, and Qallawiyah.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on the peacekeepers.

"France strongly condemns the shooting that occurred several times against UNIFIL soldiers yesterday. These attacks by non-state armed groups are unacceptable," the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday, March 16, as reported by ANTARA from Sputnik.

"France calls on all parties to refrain, to return to the ceasefire established on November 26, 2024 and to comply with Security Council Resolution 1701," the statement continued.

France insists the Lebanese Hezbollah movement must disarm, and Israel must halt its ground operations in Lebanon.

In early March, rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel, and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement said it was responsible for the attack.

The Israeli army responded with massive attacks in densely populated areas throughout Lebanon, including in Beirut. Hundreds of thousands of residents began leaving their homes, seeking refuge in areas considered safer within Lebanon.