UNIFIL says international presence in Lebanon remains important
Beirut: An international presence in southern Lebanon remains important, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) spokesperson Kandice Ardiel has said, noting that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has presented three options to the UN Security Council for consideration.
“I believe that an international presence in southern Lebanon is important,” Ardiel told Lebanese broadcaster Al-Jadeed TV on Saturday (local time).
Ardiel said UNIFIL peacekeepers remain present in southern Lebanon and continue supporting the parties in implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which she said remains the cornerstone of stability in southern Lebanon, reports Xinhua news agency.
Ardiel said UNIFIL also continues to support efforts to strengthen the presence of the Lebanese army and extend state authority in the south.
The remarks came amid renewed Israeli military escalation in southern Lebanon, including airstrikes that have caused civilian casualties and damage in several areas.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement Saturday that it killed a commander in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force during overnight strikes in southern Lebanon.
The IDF said the militant was identified as Ali Samir Al-Haj Hassan, a battalion commander in the unit.
It added that he was struck in a Hezbollah headquarters in the town of Ansar, Nabatieh District, in response to a Hezbollah attack against Israeli forces operating in the “security zone.”
In a separate statement, the Israeli prime minister’s office said three Israeli soldiers were seriously injured in the Hezbollah attack.
“The IDF responded by striking the Hezbollah terror headquarters which ordered the attack,” it read.
The Israeli military said several other militants involved in planning and advancing attacks against its soldiers were also killed. Hassan’s family was also present inside the headquarters at the time of the strike, it added.
Earlier in the day, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike on a house in Ansar killed seven people and wounded several others. It added that three children and two women were among the victims.