War in the Middle East: A UN peacekeeper killed in Lebanon

A blue helmet Indonesian peacekeeper was killed on Sunday and another seriously injured. They were inside their position in Ett-Taibe when a projectile exploded. On Monday, two other Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon when an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan. A third peacekeeper was seriously injured, and a fourth was also injured. “Deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are serious violations of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 1701, and may constitute war crimes. The human cost of this conflict is far too high. Violence, as we have said before, must stop,” said UNIFIL in a message on the social network X.

Possible war crimes

Sunday evening, UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the incident that occurred on the same day. He noted that it was one of many incidents that had compromised the safety and security of the peacekeepers. “Once again, the Secretary-General calls on all actors to respect their obligations under international law and to ensure at all times the safety and security of United Nations personnel and property. Attacks on peacekeepers constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and may constitute war crimes. Those responsible will have to be held accountable,” said the spokesperson for the UN chief, Stéphane Dujarric, in a statement to the press.

UNIFIL is unaware of the origin of the projectile and has opened an investigation to determine the circumstances. “No one should ever lose their life in the service of the cause of peace,” the mission said on Sunday. “The situation is extremely volatile, extremely dangerous,” said UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel in an interview with ONU Info. UNIFIL supports the implementation of resolution 1701, which ended hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah that erupted over two decades ago.

Lebanon: Over 50 healthcare workers killed

Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the loss of another healthcare worker in the context of the clashes in Lebanon. “The expansion of Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon resulted in the death of a new healthcare worker today,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday in a post on social network X. The paramedic was killed in a strike targeting an ambulance in the town of Bint Jbeil, while a medical facility in the same location was destroyed in an attack. “Before today’s strikes, WHO had confirmed that 51 Lebanese healthcare workers had been killed since March 2, including nine paramedics just yesterday,” Tedros said. “Attacks on healthcare facilities must stop immediately. This cannot become the norm.”

Iran: Heavy water reactor shut down

On the other hand, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced on Sunday that the Khondab heavy water reactor (formerly known as the Arak reactor) had suffered “serious damage” and was no longer operational. This situation follows an attack on the site in northwest Iran on Friday, as stated by the UN agency in a post on X. “The facility contains no declared nuclear material,” added the IAEA.

To be continued…