* Published 4 Minutes Ago
UNIFIL has confirmed that a UN peacekeeper was wounded in southern Lebanon by gunfire. This is the fifth member of multinational force to have been injured in recent weeks.
Unifil released a statement Saturday stating that a peacekeeper was injured at its Naquora headquarters on Friday night during “ongoing military activities nearby”. However, it added that they did not know what caused the fire.
The statement read: “He has undergone surgery at our Naqoura Hospital to remove the bullet, and is currently stable.”
Separately Unifil reported that buildings at a location in the village Ramyah suffered “significant damage” due to explosions caused by nearby shelling on Friday night.
The mission stated that “we remind all actors of their obligation to ensure the safety of UN personnel and premises. This includes avoiding combat near Unifil positions.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on Friday, acknowledged that their troops were responsible for a Naqoura incident in which two Sri Lankans soldiers were injured.
The IDF stated that soldiers near the base opened up fire after identifying an imminent threat. They also said the incident would be investigated at the “highest levels”.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack “strongly”.
Two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured Thursday after Israeli tanks fired at an observation tower, causing them to fall.
When asked about the incidents, US President Joe Biden stated that he “absolutely and positively” urged Israel to stop shooting at UN peacekeepers.
In a joint declaration, the leaders of France and Spain condemned Israel’s actions. They said that they were unjustified and should be immediately stopped.
IDF earlier said that dozens of more launches crossed into Israel from Lebanon on Saturday, with some intercepted.
Reuters, citing medical sources, reported that an Israeli strike on Jabalia in Gaza killed around 20 people on Friday night.