Eduardo González
The Government of Spain has reiterated its “firm condemnation” of the new attacks carried out this Friday by Israel on the UNIFIL Headquarters in Naqoura, in which two more blue helmets have been injured.
“The Government demands that Israel immediately put an end to these attacks, and that it comply with its obligations under International Humanitarian Law and Security Council Resolution 1701,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
According to the mission on Friday, the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura was attacked “for the second time in the last 48 hours.” Two peacekeepers were injured after two explosions occurred near an observation tower.
“These incidents once again seriously endanger United Nations peacekeepers serving in southern Lebanon at the request of the Security Council under resolution 1701 (2006),” UNIFIL warned.
“This is a serious development and UNIFIL reiterates that the safety of United Nations personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of United Nations premises must be respected at all times,” it continued. “Any deliberate attack against peacekeepers is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 1701 (2006),” it concluded.
This is the second Israeli attack on UNIFIL headquarters in just 48 hours. On Thursday, the Spanish government “strongly” condemned the shots fired by an Israeli Army tank against an observation tower at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, which also injured two blue helmets. “Attacks on peacekeeping operations are a very serious violation of International Humanitarian Law and Security Council Resolution 1701,” which establishes the UNIFIL mandate, it warned.
In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by José Manuel Albares, summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Israeli Embassy in Madrid on Friday to convey its complaint about the attacks against UN positions in Lebanon.
Official sources from the Foreign Ministry indicated that Spain summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Israeli Embassy “to protest the unjustified attacks by the Israeli army on UNIFIL positions and the recent comments about Spain and the Spanish people.”
Spain has participated in the mission since 2006 with some 650 soldiers integrated into Operation Libre Hidalgo, most of them stationed in Marjayoun, in southeastern Lebanon. Since 2022, Spanish Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro has been in command of the international contingent, in which more than 10,500 blue helmets from 40 countries are deployed.
