On Thursday, France announced that it is seeking clarifications from Israel regarding the recent targeting of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
In a statement, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed serious concern about the shooting incident involving UNIFIL, condemning any attack on the safety of peacekeeping forces. The ministry confirmed that none of the 700 French troops serving in UNIFIL were injured.
The statement emphasized, “We await clarifications from the Israeli authorities. The protection of peacekeeping forces is a commitment that applies to all parties in any conflict.”
In the same vein, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto accused Israel of committing “potential war crimes” following UNIFIL’s announcement that its forces had come under fire from the Israeli military. During a press conference, Crosetto stated, “The repeated hostilities committed by Israeli forces against the UNIFIL base may amount to war crimes and certainly represent severe violations of international humanitarian law.”
On Thursday, UNIFIL reported that an Israeli Merkava tank fired at a observation tower at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and injuring two personnel. The statement also noted additional Israeli gunfire aimed at their facilities on Wednesday and Thursday.
