China envoy condemns killing of peacekeepers in Lebanon

The UN Security Council on Tuesday convened an emergency meeting following a series of deadly incidents targeting peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, as well as the continued escalation of hostilities along the Lebanon-Israel border.

China's deputy permanent representative to the UN Sun Lei said the attacks were a grave violation of international law.

"Any deliberate attack on United Nations peacekeeping personnel seriously violates international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701," Sun told the Council. "It is absolutely unacceptable and must immediately stop."

"China strongly condemns the attacks on UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), expresses profound condolences over the death of Indonesian peacekeeping personnel, and conveys its sympathies to the wounded," said Sun.

Sun said the tensions in the Middle East "are rising, with spillover effects becoming increasingly evident".

"The international community must press the brakes in time," he said, urging efforts to prevent further escalation.

"Israel should immediately and fully withdraw its forces from Lebanon and respect Lebanon's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," he said. "Lebanon cannot become another Gaza, and the international community must under no circumstances allow the tragedy of Gaza to be repeated."

"China calls on the parties concerned to immediately cease all hostile actions and to work toward de-escalation," said Sun.

The meeting came after two peacekeepers were killed and two others wounded, one seriously, when an explosion struck their vehicle near Bani Hayyan in southern Lebanon on Monday, UNIFIL said in a statement. The incident followed another deadly attack within 24 hours, in which a peacekeeper from the Indonesian contingent was killed when a projectile hit a UN position.

Conflicting claims have emerged regarding responsibility for the attacks. Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said that Hezbollah was responsible. "We can confirm that UNIFIL forces were hit by Hezbollah explosive devices," he told reporters at the UN on Tuesday.

No independent evidence has confirmed the claim.

Investigations underway

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said investigations were ongoing. "Two, as you know, were killed due to a roadside bomb, most likely an IED (Improvised Explosive Device)," he told reporters at the UN daily briefing on Tuesday. "The first incident was an explosion that landed in the position that the Indonesians were holding. As soon as we can share the findings, we will do so."

More than 1,200 people have been killed in Lebanon since the latest escalation between Israel and Hezbollah began, according to UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.

Israel has announced plans to expand ground operations and enlarge its so-called "buffer zone" in the south, raising fears of a prolonged military presence.

China reiterated its support for Lebanon's sovereignty and called for an end to the fighting. "The international community must take urgent action to apply the brakes before the conflict spirals further out of control," Sun said.

UNIFIL was established by the Security Council in 1978. It currently deploys more than 8,000 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries.

minluzhang@chinadailyusa.com