Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt on Friday strongly condemned an attack on a position belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that left one peacekeeper dead and two others wounded, warning against any actions that endanger international forces operating in the conflict-hit south of the country.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cairo reaffirmed its rejection of attacks targeting United Nations peacekeeping personnel and stressed the need to ensure their protection as they carry out duties mandated by the international community.
The Egyptian government said safeguarding UN peacekeepers remains essential to preserving stability in Lebanon, where tensions have persisted despite efforts to maintain a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Egypt also extended its condolences to Serbia following the death of the peacekeeper, while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured soldiers from Spain and El Salvador.
The condemnation came a day after UNIFIL announced that one of its troops had died from severe injuries sustained when mortar shells struck a position near the town of Marjayoun in southeastern Lebanon. According to the peacekeeping force, the soldier was airlifted to a hospital in Beirut shortly after the attack but later succumbed to his wounds.
Two additional peacekeepers were injured in the incident and remain under medical care at a UNIFIL facility, the force said.
UNIFIL has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the strike and renewed calls on all parties involved in the conflict to uphold their obligations under international law. The mission emphasized that United Nations personnel and facilities must be protected at all times and should never become targets of military activity.
Growing concern over the safety of peacekeepers comes as international efforts continue to prevent a wider escalation along the Lebanese-Israeli border. Although a U.S.-brokered ceasefire arrangement announced earlier this year helped reduce large-scale hostilities, sporadic exchanges of fire and mutual accusations of violations have continued to threaten the agreement.
Hezbollah has repeatedly stated that it rejects direct negotiations with Israel but says it remains committed to the truce as long as it includes a comprehensive halt to hostilities and a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Regional tensions have been further complicated by Iran’s position on the conflict. Tehran has maintained that any broader settlement to the crisis must address the situation in Lebanon and include guarantees preventing renewed fighting on the border.
With security conditions remaining uncertain, diplomats and international organizations have increasingly warned that attacks on peacekeepers risk undermining already fragile efforts to preserve stability in southern Lebanon.
