France calls for emergency UN Security Council meeting after Israeli attacks on peacekeepers

LONDON

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Monday condemned Israel's recent attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, calling for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

“France condemns in the strongest possible terms the gunfire that caused the death, on March 29, of an Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeeper and injured three other members of the Force, as well as the explosion that caused the death, on March 30, of two other Indonesian peacekeepers and injured two more members of the Force,” he said in a statement through US social media company X.

“Such attacks in the vicinity of peacekeepers’ positions are unacceptable and unjustifiable. France expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers and its solidarity with Indonesia, and wishes a swift recovery to the injured personnel. It calls for full clarity to be established regarding the circumstances of these tragedies,” he said.

Barrot also condemned incidents involving the French UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) contingent in the Naqoura area.

“These threats to security and acts of intimidation by Israeli army soldiers against UN personnel are unacceptable and unjustifiable, especially since deconfliction procedures had been respected. These condemnations have been conveyed with the utmost firmness to the Israeli ambassador in Paris,” he said.

He urged all parties to respect the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and to ensure the safety of UN personnel. “UNIFIL must be able to fully implement its mandate and exercise complete freedom of movement,” he said.

UNIFIL said two peacekeepers were killed on Monday “when an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle” near the southern Lebanese village of Bani Hayyan.