Amid the escalating tensions in West Asia, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations said that India, as a major troop-contributing country, aligns itself fully with the joint statement issued by the 34 United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). On social media platform X, the Permanent Mission said that the safety and security of the peacekeepers are of ‘paramount importance’ in accordance with the existing resolution of the UN Security Council. This came after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) injured two UN peacekeepers after an Israeli strike in Lebanon, as it was engaging Hezbollah.
An Israeli multi-language online newspaper reported that the IDF has expressed deep concern over the injured peacekeepers. India has also expressed concern at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line, which separates Lebanon and Israel since the 1970s, and said the inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all. The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said that appropriate measures must be taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate. The UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL has been operating along the ‘Blue Line’, which separates Lebanon and Israel, since the 1970s, and its mandate was renewed in August for another year by the UN Security Council.
