A rocket attack in Lebanon has injured four Ghanaian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations, prompting a swift response from UN officials.
According to the United Nations, a rocket hit their base in the Ramyeh area of southern Lebanon on Tuesday, injuring four Ghanaian peacekeepers.
UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, reported that peacekeepers and their facilities were attacked on three different occasions within a single day.
In the southern village of Shama, where intense clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been ongoing, rocket fire damaged yet another peacekeeping base.
In a separate incident, an armed individual “directly fired” at a UNIFIL patrol near Khirbat Silim, fortunately without causing any injuries.
UN Peacekeeping Chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix expressed his continued concern regarding the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and the Israeli Defence Forces.
He stated, “Conducting military activities near a UN position endangers and puts U.N. peacekeepers at risk. This is something we emphasize to all parties involved.”
Lacroix emphasized that all parties have a duty to guarantee the safety and security of UN personnel and assets.
“That would also entail refraining from military activities in the immediate vicinity of the U.N. position.”
UNIFIL stated that it initiated investigations into each violent incident and reported them to the Lebanese army.
These incidents occurred just one day following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, which impacted a central area near the UN headquarters, parliament buildings, and several embassies.
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According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, the attack resulted in the deaths of at least five people and injuries to 31 others.
Since late September, Israel has significantly intensified its attacks on Lebanon, pledging to weaken the militant group Hezbollah and halt its assaults into Israeli territory.
During his visit to Beirut, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein characterized the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire discussions with senior Lebanese officials on Tuesday as “constructive.”
He expressed his commitment to doing everything possible in collaboration with the governments of Lebanon and Israel to help resolve this conflict.
Hochstein arrived a day after reports emerged that the Lebanese militant group had given a positive response to a US draft proposal aimed at ending the war, which has persisted for over 13 months.
Washington has been developing a plan to cease hostilities, which involves withdrawing Israeli ground forces from Lebanon and distancing Hezbollah troops from the Israeli border.
As part of the agreement, additional Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers will be deployed to the buffer zone in southern Lebanon.
Hochstein expressed hope that a resolution would be achieved in the next few days.
