Doha called for accountability after a UNIFIL soldier was killed amid renewed efforts to reinforce an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.
Qatar has condemned a deadly attack on a position belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon that killed a Serbian peacekeeper and injured two others from El Salvador and Spain, warning that attacks on international peacekeeping forces threaten regional stability.
“Deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701, and may amount to war crimes,” UNIFIL said in a statement.
In a statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the incident as a serious violation of international humanitarian law and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
The ministry reaffirmed its rejection of any attack targeting UNIFIL personnel and stressed the force’s essential role in maintaining security and stability in Lebanon.
Qatar called for an urgent investigation into the attack and urged that those responsible be brought to justice. It also expressed condolences to the family of the slain soldier and to the government and people of Serbia, while wishing the injured peacekeepers a speedy recovery.
The attack comes as diplomatic efforts intensify to preserve a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
On Wednesday, Israel and Lebanon agreed during US-led talks in Washington to implement measures aimed at reinforcing the truce, including the creation of “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon where the Lebanese Armed Forces would assume exclusive control and all non-state armed groups would be excluded.
According to a joint statement issued after the talks, the arrangement is contingent on a “complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah and is intended to strengthen stability along the border.
However, the initiative has already faced resistance from Hezbollah.
In a strongly worded statement, the group’s leader, Naim Qassem, rejected the terms of the US-backed agreement, describing negotiations as “futile” and “humiliating” for Lebanon. He said the proposed measures had been categorically rejected by broad segments of Lebanese society.
International observers have warned that maintaining calm along the border remains critical to preventing a wider regional escalation as negotiations over the future of the ceasefire continue.
