U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday expressed deep concern to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant over reports that Israeli forces fired on United Nations peacekeeping positions in Lebanon.
In a call with Gallant, Austin emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and security of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese Armed Forces. \"I strongly emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and security of UNIFIL forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces and reinforced the need to pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway as soon as feasible,\" Austin said in a post on X.
He also addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating that \"steps must be taken to address it.\" Austin reaffirmed the United States' \"unwavering, enduring and ironclad commitment to Israel's security.\"
UNIFIL announced on Saturday that one of its soldiers was injured at its headquarters in Naqoura by \"fire of unknown origin\" amid ongoing military operations in the vicinity. This incident marks the fifth injury of a UNIFIL soldier this week.
Two days earlier, the agency reported that two of its Indonesian soldiers were injured when they fell from an observation tower following Israeli tank fire. On Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that its troops fired at an \"immediate threat\" near a UNIFIL position, resulting in injuries to two Sri Lankan UNIFIL soldiers. The IDF claimed its forces believed they were engaging Hezbollah militants.
The Lebanese army on Friday accused Israel of killing two of its troops when it targeted a military center in the town of Kafra in southern Lebanon's Bent Jbeil district.
Since the beginning of October, the Israeli army has conducted targeted ground operations against Hezbollah positions near the southern Lebanon border, while also intensifying its airstrikes and artillery shelling on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
(With input from agencies)
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
