Published 10/14/2024 1:50 pm
Itamaraty issued a statement, this Monday (14), condemning the Israeli invasion of a UN peacekeeping base in Lebanon (Unifil) on Sunday (13). According to Unifil, Israel invaded the headquarters with tanks and fired shots nearby. Five members of the peacekeeping mission were hit.
“Deliberate attacks against members of peacekeeping missions and UN installations are absolutely unacceptable and constitute a serious violation of International Law, International Humanitarian Law and UN Security Council resolutions,” declared the Brazilian government.
“As a traditional participant in UN peacekeeping forces, including Unifil, whose maritime task force was led by Brazilian military personnel between 2011 and 2021, Brazil repudiates the systematic violations observed in recent days,” he added.
Itamaraty “also deplores” the call made by the Israeli government to withdraw Unifil from the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for peacekeepers to withdraw, saying, without showing evidence, that they were providing “human shields” for Hezbollah during the increase in hostilities.
“The peacekeeping mission was established in 1978 by the Security Council and has been working since then to maintain peace and security in southern Lebanon. The mission supports the government of Lebanon in restoring its authority in the area; facilitates the return of displaced civilians; provides humanitarian assistance; and seeks to ensure that the area is not used by armed groups,” the statement said.
“The Brazilian government reiterates the urgent need to cease hostilities”, he concluded.
The note was published amid growing pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government on the United Nations.
Israel fired last Thursday (10) and Friday (11) at UN troop positions in southern Lebanon, a country it invaded on the 30th, and injured five peacekeepers, actions that generated strong condemnation from the international community.
On Sunday (13), Israeli tanks invaded the Unifil peacekeeping mission base in Ramyah.
“Early this morning, peacekeepers at a UN position in Ramyah observed three platoons of IDF soldiers crossing the Blue Line towards Lebanon,” Unifil published on the social network X, formerly Twitter.
“Around 4:30 p.m. [do domingo]while peacekeepers were in shelters, two Israeli army Merkava tanks destroyed the position’s main gate and forcibly entered the base [da Unifil]. They asked the base several times to turn off the lights,” he added.
According to Unifil, hours after the invasion, at 6:40 am, the blue helmets reported shots fired 100 meters north of the base. The statement said the shots emitted smoke.
“Despite wearing protective masks, fifteen peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after the smoke entered the camp. The peacekeepers are receiving treatment,” explained Unifil.
Source: vermelho.org.br
