SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS ROCKET ATTACKS ON ISRAEL

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the firing of rockets against Israel on 8 January.  The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is continuing its investigation to determine the launch site.  The Secretary-General would like to reiterate that, if the rockets were launched from Lebanese territory, as is likely, the incident would constitute a serious violation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

In addition, the Secretary-General is concerned over the incident near the Blue Line in the area of Halta on 7 January, which highlights the importance of his calls to visibly mark the Blue Line.  He takes this opportunity to remind the parties of their obligation to fully adhere to Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and to respect the cessation of hostilities agreement.

UNIFIL is continuing its investigations into both incidents in close cooperation with the parties.  The Secretary-General urges both parties to exercise maximum restraint.

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For information media • not an official record