Biden calls for immediate halt to Israeli attacks on UN forces
U.S. President Joe Biden made a strong appeal on Friday to Israel not to carry out attacks on U.N. forces stationed in Lebanon. This was in response to recent shelling of UNIFIL peacekeeping mission positions. At the same time, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin urged Israel to end military actions in the region as soon as possible.
12 October 2024 07:18
When asked by a journalist during a conference dedicated to Hurricane Milton whether he calls on Israel to cease attacks on U.N. peacekeeping forces, Biden replied succinctly, "Absolutely, definitely".
Calls from American officials
Earlier, 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 emphasized 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 said in a statement.
U.S. concerns
During Thursday's U.N. Security Council debate, Robert Wood, the U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the U.N., expressed deep concern over reports of injuries sustained by U.N. 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.
