China on Friday expressed “grave concern and strong condemnation” of Israeli attacks on UN peace operations, after peacekeepers said Israeli forces fired on their headquarters in south Lebanon.
“China expresses grave concern and strong condemnation over the Israeli Defense Forces’ attack on UNIFIL positions and observation posts, which resulted in injuries to UNIFIL personnel,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, referring to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
UN peacekeepers said Israeli fire on their headquarters in south Lebanon Thursday left two Blue Helmets injured, sparking condemnation from European members of the mission.
Israel acknowledged its forces had opened fire in the area, saying the Hezbollah militants on whom it is waging an escalating war operate near UN posts.
Italy, a major contributor of troops to the force, said the acts “could constitute war crimes” while Washington said it was “deeply concerned”.
And Beijing said Friday that “any deliberate attack on UN peacekeepers is a serious violation of international humanitarian law”.
“Such actions must be stopped immediately,” Mao said, calling for an “investigation into the incident, accountability for those responsible, and measures to be taken to prevent a recurrence”.
UNIFIL, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on September 23, after a year of cross-border fire.
