Israel not in position to preach about peacekeepers security: Lebanese delegation

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants was informed by the Lebanese delegation to the United Nations in New York that, within the framework of the work of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations, Lebanon responded to the Israeli delegate with an intervention in which it called for refraining from the rhetoric of incitement and bidding regarding the incident of the killing of the soldier from the Irish battalion of UNIFIL.

The delegation considered it is "regrettable and disgraceful that a painful incident has been exploited for political purposes that do not serve UNIFIL's endeavors to establish an atmosphere of peace and stability in a region in dire need today."

The Lebanese delegation confirmed Lebanon's official position condemning this painful incident and the seriousness of the investigations carried out by the Lebanese judiciary, which led to the issuance of a presumptive decision against seven suspects, one of whom was arrested, and the other's prosecution is continuing.

It also reminded that the Israeli side is not in a position to direct accusations or give sermons about the security of peacekeeping forces or facilitate their tasks, especially since there are many examples of Israeli attacks on peacekeeping forces, including the bombing of UNIFIL's Fijian battalion headquarters compound in Qana in 1996, the air raid and the killing of four UN observers in the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization building in 2006 in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon, and the naval maneuvers carried out by Israeli fighters alongside the UNIFIL ship, according to what was stated in the recent report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (July 2022) on the implementation of Resolution 1701.

In this context, the Ministry affirms that relations with the United Nations and UNIFIL forces are based on consultation, cooperation, and permanent and constructive dialogue to complete the tasks entrusted to it in maintaining international peace and security and maintaining stability and calm southern Lebanon.