U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed deep concern to Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Saturday over reports that Israeli forces fired upon United Nations peacekeeping positions in Lebanon.
In a telephone conversation 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. He urged a shift from military operations to diplomatic efforts in the region.
\"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 stated in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. \"I also raised the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed that steps must be taken to address it.\"
Austin reaffirmed the United States' \"unwavering, enduring, and ironclad commitment to Israel's security\" during the call.
UNIFIL reported on Saturday that one of its soldiers was injured at the mission's headquarters in Naqoura by \"fire of unknown origin\" amid ongoing military activities in the area. This incident marks the fifth UN peacekeeper injured in the region this week.
Earlier, two Indonesian UNIFIL soldiers were injured after falling from an observation tower following Israeli tank fire, according to the UN agency.
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 peacekeepers. The IDF claimed that their forces believed they were engaging Hezbollah militants.
The Lebanese army has accused Israel of targeting a military center in the town of Kafra in the Bent Jbeil district, resulting in the deaths of two Lebanese soldiers.
Since the beginning of October, the Israeli army has conducted targeted ground operations against Hezbollah positions near the southern Lebanon border, while intensifying airstrikes and artillery shelling in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
