UN Chief Condemns Incident in South Lebanon, Blames Israel

Antonio Guterres, the U.N. Secretary-General, has strongly criticized the recent explosion that injured three UNTSO military observers and a Lebanese interpreter in southern Lebanon on Saturday. He also expressed serious concerns about the ongoing daily confrontations between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.

Guterres highlighted that these clashes breach the 2006 Security Council resolution, which was intended to cease the war between Israel and Hezbollah. The ongoing hostilities have led to numerous civilian deaths, the destruction of homes and farmland, and the displacement of tens of thousands of individuals along the Blue Line.

According to a U.N. spokesperson, Guterres pointed out the significant negative impact of these hostilities on the livelihoods and security of the people in Lebanon, Israel, and the broader region.

He called for all parties involved to halt any further breaches of the 2006 cessation of hostilities and to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis. Guterres affirmed his readiness to support such diplomatic efforts.

Lebanese security officials, reported by local media, indicated that the peacekeepers were hit by an Israeli drone in the Wadi Qatmoun area near Rmeish.

The Israeli military has denied these allegations on the social media platform X, stating, “Contrary to the reports, the IDF did not strike a @UNIFIL—vehicle in the area of Rmeish this morning.”

UNIFIL’s spokesperson, Tenenti, mentioned that the organization is looking into the cause of the explosion but faced challenges in conducting an immediate on-ground investigation due to the ongoing hostilities.

Tenenti emphasized to The Associated Press the inadmissibility of targeting peacekeepers and reiterated the call for an end to the heavy exchanges of fire to prevent further casualties.

Established following Israel’s 1978 invasion of southern Lebanon, UNIFIL’s mandate was expanded after the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. This expansion allowed peacekeepers to assist the Lebanese military in asserting control over the south of the country for the first time in many years.