India has voiced its concern over the escalating tensions in Lebanon after an Israeli attack injured two United Nations (UN) peacekeepers stationed in the country’s south. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement on Friday, expressing worry about the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line, the border between Lebanon and Israel. They emphasized the need for all parties to respect the inviolability of UN premises and ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers while upholding their mandate.
The incident occurred on Thursday when Israeli forces reportedly fired on a UN peacekeeping headquarters in south Lebanon, injuring two peacekeepers. Israel acknowledged the attack, claiming that Hezbollah militants, with whom they are engaged in escalating hostilities, operate near UN posts. While the injured peacekeepers did not sustain serious injuries and remain hospitalized, the attack sparked outrage and calls for accountability.
Lebanon’s foreign ministry, citing reports from the news agency AFP, stated that the Israeli bombing targeted watchtowers and the main UNIFIL base in Ras Naqura, as well as the Sri Lankan battalion’s base, resulting in multiple injuries. According to the official National News Agency, an Israeli Merkava tank targeted one of the UNIFIL towers on the main road connecting Tyre and Naqura, injuring personnel from a Sri Lankan battalion. The agency also reported that “enemy forces” fired an artillery shell at the main entrance of the UNIFIL command center in Naqura, causing damage to the entrance.
UNIFIL, with approximately 10,000 peacekeepers deployed in south Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah began on September 23. This escalation followed nearly a year of cross-border fire. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the Israeli attack on the peacekeeper base as a breach of international humanitarian law. In a statement made at a summit in Laos on Friday, he stated, “I condemn the fact that there was a shooting against a UN premise, wounding two peacekeepers, which is a violation of international humanitarian law.”
