লেবাননে শান্তি রক্ষীরা কি আর নিরাপদ নয়? নিহত শান্তিরক্ষীদের নিয়ে বিশ্বজুড়ে তোলপাড়!

জাতিসংঘের শান্তিরক্ষা মিশন এক ভয়াবহThe incident has caused a stir across the world, with the United Nations peacekeeping mission announcing that two of their peacekeepers were killed and several others injured in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon on Monday. This is the second incident of casualties within 24 hours.

According to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a vehicle belonging to the mission was destroyed by an explosion from an unknown source, resulting in the deaths of two Indonesian peacekeepers. Two other peacekeepers were injured, one of them critically.

The Lebanese army reported that one of their soldiers was killed in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon. Simultaneously, security sources informed AFP that three Hezbollah members were killed in another Israeli airstrike in a southern suburb of Beirut.

This escalation is part of the wider Middle East conflict, which intensified on March 2nd when the Iran-backed group fired rockets into Israel, vowing to avenge the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader. Israel has responded with extensive airstrikes across Lebanon and a ground operation in the south. Lebanese authorities have stated that over 1,200 people have been killed since the conflict began.

UNIFIL has launched an investigation into Monday’s deaths. This follows another incident a day prior, where a Hezbollah member was killed and three others injured by a missile explosion near a UNIFIL position. The Israeli military stated on Tuesday that they are investigating both incidents to determine the precise circumstances and whether they were caused by Hezbollah attacks or actions by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for UN Peacekeeping Operations, condemned these incidents as “unacceptable” and stressed that “all actions that put peacekeepers at risk must stop.” France, a permanent member of the Security Council, has called for a council meeting on the matter, while Spain has also condemned the attacks.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun, in a phone call with the UNIFIL commander, condemned the attacks on peacekeepers. A statement from the Lebanese presidency indicated that President Aoun is engaged in continuous international communication to initiate discussions with Israel.

The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, issued a statement calling for an “immediate ceasefire to end this carnage.” State media reported Israeli airstrikes in several areas of southern Lebanon and the adjacent western Bekaa region, leading to the disruption of road communication after Israel issued evacuation warnings for some towns. The Lebanese army reported that one of their soldiers was killed in a “direct Israeli attack on a military post” in the Tyre region of southern Lebanon, marking the first direct targeting of a military post since the start of the conflict, according to a military source speaking to AFP.