Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the United Nations’ peacekeeping chief, told reporters Monday that the world body condemns the “unacceptable incidents” that killed three Indonesian peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, where Israel is battling the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The peacekeeping mission known as UNIFIL did not say who was responsible for the deaths overnight and into Monday.
“Peacekeepers must never be targeted,” Lacroix said. “UNIFIL is investigating these incidents to determine the circumstances.”
Additionally, Lacroix was asked if he would describe Israel’s ongoing operations in southern Lebanon as an “invasion,” he said that given Israeli military statements and actions, “it certainly looks like we might end up with, I would call it, an expanded buffer zone in southern Lebanon.”
He added, “Now what width, what breadth, what size, what all of this, of course, is very difficult to assess.”
