France has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council following what it described as “extremely serious incidents” involving peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot strongly condemned the recent violence, including the March 29 attack that killed an Indonesian peacekeeper and injured three others, as well as a March 30 explosion that killed two more Indonesian peacekeepers and wounded two additional personnel.
He said attacks near UN “Blue Helmet” positions are “unacceptable and unjustifiable,” extending condolences to the victims’ families and expressing solidarity with Indonesia, while wishing a swift recovery to the injured.
France also condemned incidents involving its UNIFIL contingent in the Naqoura area, accusing Israeli forces of intimidation despite deconfliction procedures being followed. Paris said its concerns were conveyed in the strongest terms to Israel’s ambassador.
Barrot urged all parties to respect United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and ensure the safety of UN personnel in line with international law. He stressed that UNIFIL must be allowed to fully carry out its mandate with complete freedom of movement.