UNIFIL confirms four injured in an explosion against a team of observers in southern Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has confirmed an explosion that occurred this Saturday against a team in the Lebanese town of Rmeish, in the south of the country, which has left at least three observers and a Lebanese translator injured.

The team was patrolling on foot along the Blue Line separating Israel when "an explosion occurred near their position," according to the note.

Military observers are part of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), parent of UNIFIL, and collaborate with the 'blue helmets' in their tasks to implement the mandate stipulated by the UN Security Council.

UNIFIL has reported that it is currently "investigating the origin of the explosion" without giving further details for now of an incident that, according to the official Lebanese news agency NNA, could be due to an attack by an Israeli drone, while the Israel Defense Forces have denied any involvement in what happened.

Be that as it may, UNIFIL demands "guarantees for the safety of United Nations personnel" and recalls that "all actors have the responsibility, under international humanitarian law, to ensure the protection of non-combatants, including maintenance personnel." peacekeepers, journalists, medical personnel and civilians," according to the statement.

Only two days ago, UNIFIL warned of an "escalation of violence" along the so-called Blue Line, the demarcation between Lebanon and Israel established by the UN almost a quarter of a century ago, and now the scene of constant artillery crossings between Israel and the militias of the Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah practically since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

"This escalation has caused a high number of deaths among civilians and destroyed homes and ways of life," UNIFIL noted this past Thursday before urging all parties to "lay down their weapons and begin the process towards a political and sustainable diplomacy".

The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Nayib Mikati, has already contacted the UNIFIL commander, Spanish General Aroldo Lázaro, to "express his solidarity" and "condemn this serious incident on behalf of the Lebanese Government."

Mikati was informed by General Lázaro of the beginning of the UNIFIL investigation to clarify what happened, according to the Lebanese Government note collected by the NNA.