Rocket attack injures un peacekeepers in Lebanon conflict
Eight Austrian UN peacekeeping soldiers in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were injured in a rocket attack on the town of An-Nakura in the south of the country. This is yet another instance where Israeli forces have attacked a peacekeeping observation point.
29 October 2024 20:38
The rocket hit the An-Nakura camp near the border with Israel. Tel Aviv has intensified attacks on Hezbollah strongholds since last month and deployed ground forces to Lebanon.
Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg stated that the injured soldiers did not require urgent medical aid. He also condemned any attacks on UN forces and emphasized that "they cannot be tolerated."
It is not yet known who is behind the attack on An-Nakura.
"All parties are urged to immediately ensure the safety of all UN peacekeeping forces. It cannot and will not be tolerated that UN peacekeepers are deliberately or unintentionally put in danger," the Austrian Foreign Minister appealed.
Attacks on UN observation points. Situation "extremely dangerous"
UN peacekeepers reported last Friday that Israeli soldiers fired upon one of their observation points in southern Lebanon, adding that the security situation is "extremely difficult" due to other unidentified attacks.
UNIFIL, originally established in 1978, consists of approximately 10,000 peacekeeping soldiers from 50 countries. The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon operates in the south of the country, monitoring the situation in the border region and supporting stabilization efforts.
