The UN chief strongly condemned the killing of another peacekeeper in southern Lebanon

The incident occurred on Saturday morning local time when the blue helmets were clearing bombs along a road in the village of Ghanduriyah to re-establish ties with isolated UN positions.

The patrol came under light weapons attack from non-state actors.

“Tragically, one peacekeeper died from his injuries and three others were injured, two of them seriously,” UNIFILE said in a statement.

Guterres issued a strong condemnation

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attack and said in a statement issued late Saturday that it was “deemed” Hezbollah militants were responsible.

“This is the third incident in recent weeks resulted in the deaths of peacekeepers serving in UNIFIL and occurred despite the announcement on 16 April of a 10-day cessation of hostilities. All actors are urged to respect the cessation of hostilities and ceasefire,” continued the spokesperson’s statement.

“Once again, the Secretary-General calls on all parties to uphold their obligations under international law and guarantee the safety and security of UN personnel and the inviolability of UN property and assets at all times.”

Mr. Guterres said attacks on peacekeepers must stop and may constitute war crimes.

The injured were evacuated

The injured peacekeepers were taken to a medical facility for treatment.

UNIFIL extends its condolences to the families and fellow peacekeepers of the fallen and wishes a full and speedy recovery to those injured.

UNIFIL condemns ‘deliberate attack’

The mission condemned what it described as “deliberate attacks on peacekeepers carrying out mandated duties,” and noted that explosive ordnance disposal work is critical in the region, especially in the wake of recent hostilities.

UNIFIL said it had launched an investigation into the incident, with initial assessments showing that the fire originated from a non-state actor, “suspected Hezbollah”.

The mission reiterated that all actors are obliged under international law to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property at all times.

“Deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701, and may constitute a war crime,” the statement said.

UNIFIL also called on the Lebanese Government to immediately investigate the incident and hold those responsible accountable.