Grapevine

UN Security Council says UNIFIL must be protected after Israeli attacks

Security Council urges all parties to respect ‘safety, security of UNIFIL personnel and premises’ in southern Lebanon.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has expressed support for UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon following a series of Israeli attacks on the UN peacekeeping force.

In a statement on Monday that did not specifically mention Israel, the 15-member council urged “all parties to respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises”.

“They recalled that UN peacekeepers and UN premises must never be the target of an attack,” the statement reads. “They reiterated their support to UNIFIL, underscoring its role in supporting regional instability.”

The statement comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated his rhetoric against the UN peacekeepers, calling on them to “heed Israel’s request and to temporarily get out of harm’s way”.