UNIFIL vehicles on patrol along the southern border near Khiam, August 30, 2022. (Credit: Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP)
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it was preparing to lodge an "urgent" complaint with the UN Security Council following the "attack" on a UN observer patrol near the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel earlier in the day.
In a statement, Lebanon's Foreign Ministry also said that it "condemns the attack which violates international and humanitarian law with regards to the targeting of UN peacekeepers after the targeting of journalists, first responders, children, women and civilians."
Three UN military observers and an assistant were injured on Saturday morning during a foot patrol along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel following an "explosion" nearby, said a statement from UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL.
Earlier reports indicated that a vehicle carrying UN observers was hit by an "Israeli strike," but Israel quickly denied this through the army's Arabic-speaking spokesman, Avichay Adraee.
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said following the attack: "This morning, three military observers from the OGL [Observer Group Lebanon], UNTSO [United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, which helps UNIFIL to fulfill its mandate], and an Arabic-speaking assistant, probably a translator, who were carrying out a foot patrol along the Blue Line were injured when an explosion occurred near their position."
Earlier this week, the Israeli army killed seven first responders in the southern Lebanese village of Hebbariyyeh as well as several civilians including an attack on a cafe in Naqoura.
"Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib called the head of UNIFIL Aroldo Lázaro as he condemned the incident and called countries who are keen on providing regional peace and security to secure the security and safety of UN employees and to protect the civilians and to quickly intervene to stop Israeli violations and to apply the full implementation of 1701 UN resolution," the statement said.
Following the incident, Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the 'targeting' of UN forces in southern Lebanon that wounded three UN observers.
The United Nations observers, as well as a Lebanese translator, were injured during a foot patrol along the Blue Line in southern Lebanon after a nearby “explosion,” according to a statement by the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL.