Israel slammed for fresh attack on peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

ANEW attack by Israeli forces on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon received swift and widespread condemnation today.

The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack had targeted a watchtower of a Sri Lankan battalion in Naqoura that is part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil).

The day before, 22 people were killed and dozens wounded in the deadliest Israeli air strike on central Beirut so far.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported today that artillery shelling from an Israeli Merkava tank had wounded some of the Sri Lankan soldiers.

Speaking at a news conference in Beirut, Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati described the attack as a “crime.”

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres described Israel’s action as “intolerable” and said it “cannot be repeated.”

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was “outraged” by the attack on Unifil peacekeepers and demanded that Israel refrain from any further “hostile actions” against them.

Human Rights Watch called for a UN inquiry into the attacks and described the deliberate targeting of UN missions as a “war crime.”

Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at the New York-based group, said: “Any targeting of UN peacekeepers by Israeli forces violates the laws of war and dangerously interferes with Unifil’s civilian protection and aid work.”

China expressed “grave concern and strong condemnation” and demanded an investigation into Israel’s “absolutely unacceptable” attack on the peacekeepers.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said: “Inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate.”

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told a news conference: “This was not a mistake and not an accident and represented a very serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

The attack took place the day after UN peacekeepers said the Israeli military had repeatedly fired at Unifil headquarters and positions in southern Lebanon, injuring two Indonesian peacekeepers.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said: “Indonesia strongly condemns the attack.

“Attacking UN personnel and property is a major violation of international humanitarian law.”

On Thursday, Israeli air strikes on central Beirut killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens.

The attacks apparently targeted two residential buildings in separate districts simultaneously, bringing down one block of flats and wiping out the lower floors of the other.

After the strikes, Lebanon’s al-Manar TV reported that an attempt to kill Wafiq Safa, a top Hezbollah security official, had failed. It said Mr Safa had not been in either of the targeted buildings.