The United Nations Interim Power in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says eight of its peacekeepers had been wounded after a rocket, doubtless fired by Hezbollah or an affiliated group, hit its headquarters in southern Lebanon.
“A rocket hit UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, setting a automobile workshop on hearth,” the drive mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday, including that it “was fired from north of UNIFIL’s headquarters, doubtless by Hezbollah or an affiliated group”.
Austria’s Federal Ministry of Defence mentioned the assault injured proper Austrian troopers with the drive, condemning the assault and including it was “at present not attainable to say the place the assault got here from”.
“Eight Austrian military troopers from the UNIFIL contingent had been injured in the present day at 12:58 pm [10:58 GMT] by a rocket hit in Camp Naqoura; none of them significantly,” the assertion mentioned.
The accidents had been “minor and superficial”, with not one of the troopers, who’re members of a restore platoon, requiring emergency medical consideration, the assertion added.
“We condemn this assault within the strongest attainable phrases and demand that the assault be investigated instantly,” Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner mentioned within the assertion.
“All sides are referred to as upon to instantly guarantee the protection of all UN peacekeepers. It can not and won’t be tolerated that the UN peacekeepers are intentionally or inadvertently put in peril,” she added.
Austria contributes about 180 troopers to the ten,000-strong drive. They’re a part of a “Multi Position Logistic Unit” that performs roles like transporting items and personnel, repairing automobiles, supplying gasoline and firefighting.
UNIFIL has confronted a series of attacks on its peacekeepers in latest weeks. The Israeli authorities has demanded that UNIFIL go away its positions in southern Lebanon, however the UN maintains that the mission isn’t going anyplace.
‘No management vacuum’
UNIFIL positions have come beneath assault at the least 20 instances since Israel’s floor incursion in Lebanon started in early October, together with by direct hearth and an incident on October 13 when two Israeli tanks burst through the gates of a UNIFIL base, in accordance with the UN. Israeli forces have additionally fired on a number of front-line UNIFIL positions.
Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging hearth because the Lebanese armed group fired rockets in the direction of Israel on October 8, 2023, in what it mentioned was “solidarity” with Palestinians in Gaza. Israel’s navy drastically escalated the battle final month, killing a lot of the group’s management, unleashing a relentless bombardment throughout Lebanon and sending floor forces into the south of the nation.
Israel has mentioned it intends to dismantle the infrastructure of Hezbollah and finish the cross-border assaults which have pushed tens of 1000’s of individuals from their properties in northern Israel.
The assault on UN peacekeepers comes amid heavy floor preventing between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli troopers in border areas after Israeli strikes on the jap Bekaa Valley killed greater than 60 folks, in accordance with Lebanese officers.
Lots of these killed had been in Baalbek province, in accordance with Lebanon’s Nationwide Information Company.
Baalbek Mayor Bachir Khodr described the strikes as “probably the most violent day in Baalbek because the starting of the aggression”. In a publish on X, he mentioned folks remained trapped beneath the rubble.
Greater than 2,700 Lebanese have been killed and 1.2 million others have been displaced because the escalation started.
In an announcement on Tuesday, the Israeli military claimed it destroyed a Hezbollah “command centre” and one other bunker during which explosives had been saved in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah, in the meantime, mentioned it fired rockets and artillery at Israeli forces southeast of the southern city of Khiam, the deepest the group has acknowledged Israeli forces working in Lebanon since floor operations started.
The group additionally introduced that Naim Qassem will succeed slain chief Hassan Nasrallah as secretary-general of Hezbollah.
In an announcement on Tuesday, Hezbollah mentioned Qassem was elected because of his “adherence to the rules and targets of Hezbollah”.
Ali Rizk, a Beirut-based safety and political analyst, mentioned the choice demonstrates the group is rebuilding after the killing of a number of high leaders.
“This could have the impact of boosting the morale considerably of Hezbollah’s supporters. It will even be a message to Hezbollah’s enemies saying there isn’t a management vacuum and all the things goes easily and Hezbollah is rebuilding,” Rizk instructed Al Jazeera.
