New Delhi:

India has expressed grave “concern” over the abysmal conflict situation in West Asia as Israel intensifies its resolve targeting Hezbollah hideouts. New Delhi issued a statement today after UN peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon came under fire from Israeli forces.

Among the UN peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon, there are approximately 900 Indian soldiers. It is important to note that they were not at the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon or UNIFIL headquarters at the time it was attacked by Israeli forces. Besides the soldiers, there are around 25 staff officers, including medical experts deployed there.

“We are concerned at the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, adding that “We continue to monitor the situation very closely.”

New Delhi underscored the importance it attaches to United Nations’ peacekeeping initiatives saying UN premises cannot be allowed to be targeted, and respecting its sanctity is a mandate.

“Inviolability of UN premises must be respected by all, and appropriate measures taken to ensure the safety of UN peacekeepers and the sanctity of their mandate,” the foreign ministry said.

Israel however, has defended its actions, with the Israeli Defense Forces or IDF claiming that “Since the beginning of the war, Hezbollah has fired more than 130 rockets in close proximity” to 26 United Nations facilities.”

The IDF also put out a map in which it has identified these places as being “less than 300 meters” from the UN facilities.

WHAT THE UNITED NATIONS SAID – UNIFIL STATEMENT

The UN has said, “Recent escalation along the Blue Line is causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in south Lebanon, while rockets continue to be launched towards Israel, including civilian areas. In the past days we have seen incursions from Israel into Lebanon in Naqoura and other areas. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers have clashed with Hizbullah elements on the ground in Lebanon.”

It further said that “UNIFIL’s Naqoura headquarters and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit,” adding that on Thursday “two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall. The injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain in hospital.”

Speaking about the Israeli offensive, the UN statement asserted that “IDF soldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system. An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance.”

It further highlighted that on Wednesday “IDF (Israeli) soldiers deliberately fired at and disabled the position’s perimeter-monitoring cameras. They also deliberately fired on UNP 1-32A in Ras Naqoura, where regular Tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a relay station.”

Reminding Israeli forces that its attacks on UN facilities is a grave violation of international humanitarian law as well as UN Security Council resolution 1701, the UN said, “We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times. UNIFIL peacekeepers are present in south Lebanon to support a return to stability under Security Council mandate. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council resolution 1701.”

WHAT IS UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1701

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 is a resolution that was adopted with an intention to resolve the 2006 Lebanon War.

The resolution has been the linchpin of peace between Israel and Lebanon for almost two decades and the 10,000 UN peacekeepers who are tasked with implementing it on the ground.

United Nations Security Council unanimously adopts resolution 1701 in 2006. (file) (Photo Credit: un.org)

Adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council in 2006, the purpose of resolution 1701 continues to be about ending hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, with the Council calling for a permanent ceasefire to be based on the creation of a buffer zone.

WHAT IS ‘THE BLUE LINE’

The ‘Blue Line’ is a United Nations-recognised demarcation line to indicate that Israel had withdrawn its military from southern Lebanon. It separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights, but it is not an official international border.

Stretching for 120km along Lebanon’s southern frontier and Israel’s northern border, the so-called “Blue Line” is “a key to peace in the region” and one of the central elements of resolution 1701 since the war in 2006, with UNIFIL peacekeepers being its temporary custodian, according to UN Peacekeeping.

UNIFIL and Lebanese officers operate one of the “Blue Barrels”, which determine the Blue Line, in southern Lebanon in 2010. (file) (Photo Credit: un.org)

Based on various historical maps, some dating back almost a century, the Blue Line is not a border, but a temporary “line of withdrawal” set by the UN in 2000 for the practical purpose of confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

Whenever Israeli or Lebanese authorities wish to undertake any activities close to the Blue Line, UNIFIL requests that they provide advance notice, allowing the UN mission to keep authorities on all sides informed, to minimise any misunderstandings that could lead to increased tensions.

ISRAEL’S LETTER TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has written a letter to the United Nations clarifying its stance amid the ongoing and escalating crisis in the Middle East (West Asia), especially with regard to its operations in Lebanon.

In its letter, the minister wrote that “On Ictiber 8, 2023, Hezbollah, a terrorist, Iranian-backed organisation, launched an unprovoked attack on Israel, joining the war initiated by Hazas on October 7, 2023. Since then they have fired over 13,000 projectiles, 1500 anti-tank missiles and hundreds of explosive drones at Israeli communities, forcing more than 63,000 people to evacuate their homes.”

The minister further said that “This war which was imposed on Israel has so far resulted in 51 casualties and over 372 injuries, besides causing severe damage ot Israeli towns and villages.”

The minister said that as a result of Hezbollah’s unilateral and unprovoked actions, “One year later, on October 1, 2024 the IDF initiated a targeted, limited raid operations in southern Lebanon aimed at Hezbollah military assets and infrastructure along the Blue Line, with a goal of dismantling them and neutralising the ongoing threat.”