Security Council Press Statement on Attack against United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Barbara Woodward (United Kingdom):

Against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities along the Blue Line, the members of the Security Council condemned the several incidents that impacted the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) positions and injured UNIFIL peacekeepers in the past weeks, including the ones on 29 October, 7 November and 8 November.

They urged all parties to take all measures to respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises.  They recalled that peacekeepers must never be the target of an attack.

They reiterated their full support to UNIFIL, underscoring its role in supporting regional stability and expressed their deep appreciation to UNIFIL’s troop-contributing countries.

They expressed their deep concern for civilian casualties and sufferings, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, the damage to cultural heritage sites in Lebanon and endangerment of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Baalbeck and Tyre and the rising number of internally displaced people. They called on all parties to abide by international humanitarian law.

They called for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).