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He has been identified as Sergeant Milovan Jovanivić. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a statement condemned the murderexpress his deepest condolences to all who knew and worked with the deceased ‘blue helmet’.
Two other peacekeepers also suffered injuries in the incident and are receiving medical treatment at a UNIFILE facility.
Police said that an investigation was underway “to determine the true circumstances that led to this tragic incident…The violence must end.”
It is not clear where the shooting came from, but this development comes amid increasing gunfire between the Israeli military in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah fighters who are not part of the Lebanese army.
“Deliberate attacks on peacekeepers constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law and from Security Council Resolution 1701, and may constitute a war crime,” stressed UNIFIL.
Accountability matters
“All attacks on peacekeepers must be promptly investigated, and those responsible must be effectively prosecuted and held accountable,” said UN Secretary General Guterres.
The Secretary-General also urged all combatants to respect the ceasefire announced on April 16, and added that the UN “is committed to supporting diplomatic efforts towards extension of the ceasefire and full implementation by the Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).”
The attack came hours ahead of a ceasefire renewal agreement announced by the US between Lebanon and Israel on Wednesday, which leaders of Hezbollah’s military wing reportedly rejected, calling it “futile”.
UN Chairman welcomed the ceasefire agreement took place in Washington, urging all parties to respect the agreement and comply with international law.
Mr Guterres calls on Hezbollah to respect the authority of the Lebanese Government and its exclusive control of arms, and pressures Israel to withdraw completely from north of the Blue Line dividing line.. He expressed hope that the deal would contribute to lasting peace.
Highest price
Serbian authorities have confirmed that the peacekeeper is a Serbian citizen who received emergency medical treatment after his base was attacked. He was then flown by helicopter to a Beirut hospital where he died.
A total of seven UN peacekeepers have been killed in Lebanon since hostilities began on March 2.
“We express our deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of peacekeepers who lost their lives in the name of peace,” UNIFIL said in a statement. “Our thoughts are also with the full and speedy recovery of the injured peacekeepers.”
In its announcement UNIFIL highlighted the “increasing number of trajectories and impacts” in southern Lebanon.
Violence erupted on March 2 when Hezbollah fighters opened fire in northern Israel, shortly after Israeli-US bombing of Iran began in late February.
The latest ceasefire deal not involving Hezbollah reportedly involves the creation of a “pilot zone” where the Lebanese army would take control.
Living in fear
To date, this violence has displaced more than one million people in Lebanon and left people living in fear.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) described how families in southern Beirut were too afraid to stay in their homes for fear of attacks.
“Most of them come during the day[time]checked their houses and left at night,” UNICEF said spokesman Christophe Boulierac UN News.
On Monday, video showed thousands of vehicles queuing to leave the southern outskirts of the capital, following warnings of an Israeli attack on Hezbollah strongholds.
“In Beruit alone, an estimated 200,000 people were displaced from the southern suburbs following evacuation orders issued by the Israel Defense Forces on June 1,” said Stéphane Dujarric, UN spokesperson, in an update on Wednesday.
