 "Israel denies responsibility for attack that killed 2 UN peacekeepers")
Israel has said that it was not responsible for the attack that killed two UN peacekeepers in Lebanon on Monday, after the agency’s initial assessment said that they died in a “roadside blast” that struck their convoy near Bani Haiyyan.
The IDF said in a statement, “A comprehensive operational examination indicates that no explosive device was placed in the area by IDF troops, and that no IDF troops were present in the area at all.”
The military added that it is targeting Hezbollah sites in Lebanon and not the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, urging the organisation to steer clear of “combat zones” for which the IDF has issued an evacuation order.
Two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed on Monday when “an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle” near Bani Hayyan, and a third Indonesian peacekeeper was killed the day before when a projectile exploded at a Unifil position.
The deaths followed Israel’s announcement that it would increase ground operations in Lebanon against the armed group Hezbollah.
Earlier, the Israeli military had also said, ““It should be noted these incidents occurred in an active combat area. Therefore, it should not be assumed that incidents in which UNIFIL soldiers were harmed were caused by the IDF.”
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View AllFrance’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting, describing the incidents as “extremely serious” and calling the attacks “unacceptable and unjustifiable,” demanding a full investigation.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix strongly condemned “these unacceptable incidents,” stating that “all acts that endanger the peacekeepers must stop”.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said, “A new red line was crossed.”
Unifil currently deploys around 8,200 peacekeepers from 47 countries; top contributors include Italy, Indonesia, Spain, India, Ghana, France, Nepal, and Malaysia — making the deaths politically sensitive in multiple capitals simultaneously.
With inputs from agencies
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