Arab States Denounce Deadly Attack on UN Peacekeeper in S. Lebanon

(MENAFN) Several Arab countries have condemned a deadly attack in southern Lebanon that killed a French member of the UN peacekeeping mission and wounded three other personnel on Saturday.

According to separate statements, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt all denounced the incident and called for accountability.

UN peacekeepers said one of their personnel was killed and three others were injured, including two seriously, after a patrol came under small-arms fire from what they described as “non-state actors” in the village of Ghanduriyah in southern Lebanon.

The force said initial assessments suggested the fire came from “non-state actors (allegedly Hizbullah).”

Saudi Arabia expressed its “total rejection of all forms of violence,” adding that those responsible “must receive a deterrent punishment.”

Jordan stressed “the need to ensure the security of UN forces and preserve the safety of their personnel,” while also rejecting any targeting of peacekeepers.

Qatar described the attack as “a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701,” which ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Lebanon. It called for “an urgent investigation and bringing those responsible to justice.”

The UAE also condemned the incident, stating that targeting peacekeepers amounts to “a violation of international law and Security Council Resolution 1701.” It urged the Lebanese authorities to safeguard UN forces, investigate the attack, and ensure similar incidents do not occur again.

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