Biden urges Israel to halt shelling of UN peacekeepers
The US President, Joe Biden, made a strong appeal on Friday to Israel, urging them not to carry out attacks on UN forces stationed in Lebanon. This came in response to the recent shelling of UNIFIL peacekeeping mission positions. Meanwhile, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin urged Israel to end military actions in the region as soon as possible.
12 October 2024 08:18
When asked by a journalist during a conference dedicated to Hurricane Milton whether he calls on Israel to cease attacks on UN peacekeeping forces, Biden replied succinctly, "Absolutely, definitely".
Calls from American officials
Earlier, the Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin, in a conversation with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, urged Israel to end hostilities in Lebanon as soon as possible and to seek a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
"Secretary Austin also emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety of UNIFIL forces in the area and called for the coordination of efforts to transition from military operations to a diplomatic path as soon as possible," the Pentagon stated.
U.S. concerns
During Thursday's UN Security Council debate, the US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, expressed deep concern over reports of injuries sustained by UN peacekeeping forces.
Reuters reported that on Friday Israeli forces shelled a watchtower at the UNIFIL headquarters (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) in the town of Naqoura, injuring two people. Additionally, Israeli forces entered one of the shelled bases.
Incidents involving Israeli forces
UNIFIL command confirmed that recently the headquarters and nearby positions have been "repeatedly attacked", and Israeli soldiers deliberately destroyed surveillance cameras.
