Following a series of attacks by Israel on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, an artillery shell hit headquarters in South Lebanon without detonating.
The United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced on Friday that an artillery shell hit its west sector headquarters in the village of Shama, in South Lebanon, but it did not detonate.
The peacekeeping mission said in a statement that on Friday afternoon a “155mm live artillery shell hit UNP 2-3 UNIFIL West Sector headquarters in Shama”, without pointing a finger at any party who might stand behind the incident.
“The shell did not detonate and Italian bomb disposal experts swiftly secured the area, removed the ordnance, and conducted a controlled detonation,” the statement by UNIFIL read.
UNIFIL reported that none of the peacekeepers were injured while the gym at the Shama headquarters sustained minor damages.
However, it added that “as a precautionary measure due to ongoing hostilities between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Hizbullah, personnel were in shelters.”
Statement: Artillery Shell Hits UNIFIL Sector West Headquarters
Shama (Lebanon), 15 November 2024 – This afternoon, a 155mm live artillery shell hit UNP 2-3, UNIFIL West Sector headquarters in Shama.— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) November 15, 2024
UNIFIL concluded by reminding “all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and properties.”
“Deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are a grave violation of international humanitarian laws and of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” the statement said.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani held discussions with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, to express Italy’s protest against Israeli strikes targeting UNIFIL personnel and infrastructure, according to an official statement.
Tajani emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of UNIFIL soldiers and condemned the attacks as “unacceptable.”
In a separate incident, UNIFIL announced that a French peacekeeper died and three others were lightly injured in a road accident along the coastal road near Shama, while on their way to the peacekeeping mission’s headquarters in Naqoura, South of Lebanon, Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported.
“UNIFIL medical personnel and Lebanese Red Cross attended to the casualties on site,” a statement by the UN mission said.
These incidents came a day after one of the convoys of the peacekeeping force was targeted by an unidentified gunman when it was on a mission in South Lebanon on Thursday, Anadolu news agency reported.
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“Artillery Shell Hits UNIFIL Sector West Headquarters
“Shama (Lebanon), 15 November 2024 – This afternoon, a 155mm live artillery shell hit UNP 2-3, UNIFIL West Sector headquarters in Shama”
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Does avoiding NATO shells cause accidents, @EtatMajorFR?https://t.co/TuRIPa0CjJ pic.twitter.com/zHK8Gi1W3I— Menelaos Manos Tzafalias (@tzaf) November 15, 2024
Multiple Attacks by Israel
UNIFIL has been the subject of several attacks in the South of Lebanon by the Israeli army since the onset of its war on the country, which was met with condemnation worldwide.
UNIFIL accused Israel on October 20 of deliberately demolishing one of its observation towers and a perimeter fence in Marwahin, in Tyre, south of Lebanon.
“Earlier today, an IDF (Israeli army) bulldozer deliberately demolished an observation tower and perimeter fence of a UN position in Marwahin,” a statement by UNIFIL read, as quoted by Anadolu news agency.
Israel Strikes UNIFIL Convoy – Five Peacekeepers Wounded, Three Civilians Killed
On October 10, UNIFIL said that its headquarters in the southern Lebanese city of Naqoura and two nearby sites had been struck by Israeli forces.
On that same day, an Israeli Merkava tank fired on an observation tower, striking it directly and causing two peacekeepers to fall, sending them to hospital with minor injuries, UNIFIL said in a statement.
On October 9, UNIFIL said, Israeli forces deliberately fired at and disabled the position’s perimeter-monitoring cameras.
War on Lebanon
Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, on October 7, 2023, the Lebanese movement Hezbollah has engaged directly, but relatively in a limited way in the war against the Israeli occupation.
Israel escalated its aggression with the cyber-terror attacks on September 17 and 18, which claimed the lives of at least 37 people including children, and injured around 3000 others.
This went hand in hand with a series of assassinations of Hezbollah leaders, including that of the Secretary-General of the resistance party Hassan Nasrallah on September 27.
‘Flagrant Violation’ – Israel Demolishes UNIFIL Observation Tower in Southern Lebanon
These developments coincided with unprecedented bombings and airstrikes by Israel’s army on different cities across Lebanon particularly in the south, Bekaa and the southern district of Beirut.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced on November 15 that 3,445 Lebanese were killed and 14,599 were injured since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon.
The Lebanese Government Emergency Committee announced on October 29 that the number of shelters has reached 1,100 centers with maximum capacity.
The Head of the committee, Minister of Environment Nasser Yassin revealed that the total number of displaced people exceeds 1.2 million.
According to the committee, 355,910 Syrian nationals and 167,295 Lebanese nationals crossed into Syria from September 23 to October 29.
(PC, Agencies)
