France, Spain Urge Israeli Arms Embargo, Italy Slams Attacks on UNIFIL

By Al Mayadeen English

11 Oct 2024 23:12

French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed halting arms exports to "Israel" as a decisive measure to stop the escalating struggle.

France, Italy, and Spain have strongly condemned recent attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon by Israeli forces, calling them "unjustifiable" and demanding an immediate halt to the violence.

This comes after the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) warned of "very serious risks" to its peacekeepers after two mission members were injured by explosions near the Palestinian-Lebanese border, the second such attack in two days.

In a joint statement, the three nations expressed their outrage after several peacekeepers were injured in Naqoura, adding that "these attacks constitute serious violation of the obligations of Israel under UNSCR (United Nations Security Council Resolution) 1701 and under humanitarian international law."

The statement also called for the protection of all peacekeepers and urged an immediate ceasefire in the region.

France, which contributes 700 troops to UNIFIL, demanded an explanation from "Israel" after summoning the envoy.

Other contributors, including Italy and Ireland, also condemned the incidents, with Ireland's Foreign Minister labeling the situation "unacceptable".

Halt arms exports

French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed halting arms exports to "Israel" as a decisive measure to stop the escalating conflict.

Speaking at a summit of European and Mediterranean leaders in Cyprus, Macron condemned the targeting of UN peacekeepers by Israeli forces, calling it "absolutely unacceptable".

He stressed that stopping the flow of weapons could be the key to ending the ongoing violence.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday urged the international community to stop selling weapons to "Israel" as he condemned Israeli attacks on UNIFIL.

None of the Spanish soldiers who were part of the mission were hit, the Spanish Defence Ministry said on Friday.

Spain has deployed 650 peacekeepers in Lebanon and a Spanish general leads the mission.

"Let me at this point criticize and condemn the attacks that the Israeli armed forces are carrying out on the United Nations mission in Lebanon," said Sanchez, whose country has been critical of "Israel" in the recent escalation in the Middle East, after meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned as unacceptable Friday Israeli fire against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, where Italy has more than 1,000 troops.

"UNIFIL mission headquarters and two Italian bases were hit by gunfire fired by Israeli forces... It is not acceptable, it violates what is established under UN resolution 1701," which governs the peacekeepers' presence, Meloni said at a summit of European and Mediterranean leaders in Cyprus.

Biden, on his part, said Friday he was asking "Israel" to stop firing at UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

"Absolutely, positively," Biden said when asked by a reporter at the White House if he was asking "Israel" to stop, amid condemnation of the entity from the UN chief and its Western allies.

Leaders of EU states in Mediterranean call for immediate ceasefire in Middle East

Leaders of nine European Union member states in the Mediterranean on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire after a sharp escalation in the Middle East.

"Amid the backdrop of the conflict in Gaza in the broader region, we express our deep concern at the escalation of a military confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah," a statement from EU leaders attending a summit, known as MED9, read after meeting in Cyprus.

"We seek an immediate ceasefire throughout the Blue Line and the timely dispatch of humanitarian aid to Lebanon," leaders including France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal said in a joint statement, referring to a UN-mapped demarcation line separating Lebanon from occupied Palestine and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.