Brussels: The European Union called for ensuring the safety and security of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) after three of its peacekeepers were recently killed.
According to Emirates News Agency, in a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, and the High Representative of the European Union, urged all parties, under all circumstances, to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and premises, in accordance with international law.
The statement emphasized strong support for the mandate of UNIFIL in South Lebanon and highlighted the importance of keeping deconfliction channels open. It strongly condemned all recent attacks on UNIFIL contingents, which resulted in casualties among the peacekeepers in recent days.
The ministers also called on Israel to avoid further escalation of the conflict, including any ground operation on Lebanese territory.