Safety, Security of United Nations Personnel, Property Must Be Guaranteed, Secretary-General Reiterates

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

Against the backdrop of the ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon and despite attacks that have hit United Nations positions, injuring a number of peacekeepers in the past several days, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly.  The Secretary-General pays tribute to the dedicated personnel of UNIFIL.

The Secretary-General reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed, and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times without qualification.  In a deeply worrying incident that occurred today, the entrance door of a UN position was deliberately breached by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) armoured vehicles.

UNIFIL continuously assesses and reviews all factors to determine its posture and presence.  The mission is taking all possible measures to ensure the protection of its peacekeepers.  UNIFIL’s role and its presence in southern Lebanon is mandated by the UN Security Council.  In this context, UNIFIL is committed to preserving its capacity to support a diplomatic solution based on resolution 1701 (2006), which is the only possible way forward.

The Secretary-General reiterates that UNIFIL personnel and its premises must never be targeted.  Attacks against peacekeepers are in breach of international law, including international humanitarian law.  They may constitute a war crime.

He calls on all parties, including the IDF, to refrain from any and all actions that put our peacekeepers at risk.  The Secretary-General takes the opportunity to reiterate the call for a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).