© UNICEF Smoke billows from a site targeted by shelling in southern Lebanon during the ongoing hostilities.
AMN / UN NEWS
Top UN officials in Lebanon expressed alarm on Friday over an Israeli strike that hit an apartment building in southern Lebanon, killing three journalists and wounding three others.
The strike occurred in Hasbaya in Nabatiyeh, outside the area of operations of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The building housed several journalists and other media personnel.
Expressing concern, Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq, stressed: “When journalists, protected under international humanitarian law, are targeted, so too are our fundamental rights to the freedom of information and expression.”
Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, and Imran Riza, the Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, also echoed the concerns.
“All parties in conflict must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law,” Mr. Haq added, during the regular press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.
Repeated direct and indirect fire incidents
UNIFIL peacekeepers are still being impacted by hostilities in the Mission’s area of operations, with “repeated incidents of direct and indirect fire” on UN positions, endangering peacekeepers, Mr. Haq continued.
Established and mandated by the UN Security Council, UNIFIL is tasked with monitoring the cessation of hostilities following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and assisting the Lebanese government in restoring its authority in the area.
Its area of operation extends from the “Blue Line” of separation between Lebanon and Israel in the south, to the Litani River in north.
On October 22, UN personnel at a permanent observation post near Dhayra, located 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) inside southern Lebanon, came under fire from Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers.
On October 24, a UNIFIL position near Mays al-Jabal sustained damage from indirect fire, damaging a prefabricated building.
The same day, nearby airstrikes damaged a UN vehicle inside a UN position near Kfar Shuba, while a UN position near Burj Qallawiyah sustained minor damage from airstrikes impacting about 300 meters away.
Obligation to ensure safety
“All actors are reminded of their obligation to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers,” Mr. Haq stated, reiterating the urgent need for a ceasefire and a diplomatic solution to this conflict.
“The Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon and UNIFIL remain on the ground and ready to support such efforts.”