NEW YORK (dpa-AFX) – After the death of three UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL has presented the first concrete indications of those possibly responsible. According to preliminary findings, an attack was carried out at the end of March by an Israeli army tank, and a second attack the following day by a booby trap set by Hezbollah, a UN spokesman said on Monday in New York.
Accordingly, the projectile that hit a UN post on March 29th was “a 120-millimeter tank ammunition” fired from an Israeli Defense Force Merkava tank. The United Nations had previously sent Israel the coordinates of all UN positions several times in order to avoid incidents. The second incident on March 30, however, was most likely caused by a wire-triggered explosive device that was “in all probability” planted by the Lebanese Hezbollah.
Three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in the attacks. The United Nations emphasized that these were preliminary findings based on initial forensic investigations. In both cases, official investigative bodies should be set up. The parties involved are called upon to prosecute the incidents and ensure the safety of UN personnel, said the UN spokesman. Attacks on UN peacekeepers could constitute war crimes under international law.
In the wake of the Iran war, the conflict between the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon and Israel has escalated again. For a long time, Hezbollah operated in the country like a state within a state. Israel accuses the Lebanese government of failing in the disarmament process. The UN mission is currently repeatedly caught between the two fronts. The United Nations has stationed peacekeepers in the border region since 1978. Around 7,500 soldiers from almost 50 countries are currently involved./hae/DP/he
