Beirut: “The Gulf”
UNIFIL forces, which are waiting for zero hour to push the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah towards open war, warned of the consequences of targeting the bases and vehicles of the international force operating in Lebanon or using nearby areas. The Lebanese government denied reports that Western countries had withdrawn their ambassadors and nationals from the country in the wake of the conflict, but Kuwait called on its nationals to leave.
Candice Ardell, Deputy Director of the UNIFIL Media Office, said: “Since last October, we have seen several incidents of our posts and vehicles being set on fire. In some cases, peacekeepers were injured, fortunately, the injuries were not serious. We continue to insist that targeting United Nations bases or using areas near our bases to launch attacks across the Blue Line is unacceptable and a violation of Resolution 1701. He added: “We have robust measures in place to ensure the safety of peacekeepers and their ability to carry out their duties, and these measures include modernizing our buildings as needed. We continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as necessary, and peacekeeping forces can still carry out their missions on the ground and continue to implement resolution 1701.
On the other hand, Lebanese Information Minister Ziad Makari denied the news spread by media and electronic platforms, describing it as baseless, indicating that some European countries had withdrawn their ambassadors from Lebanon. In a statement, he said, “The reports that some countries including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Britain, Italy and Spain have withdrawn their ambassadors from Lebanon are fake news. Psychological warfare is often resorted to and fueled in various ways by the Israeli enemy.”
In parallel, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on its citizens to avoid traveling to Lebanon in the current situation to avoid any possible risks. It has also urged the Kuwaiti nationals who are currently there to leave. A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was accompanied by an announcement by Kuwait Airways to improve its capacity to carry a large number of passengers in a short period of time.
In a notable move, US news network CNN reported on Saturday that US officials had told their Israeli counterparts that the US administration would stand by Israel in the event of a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah. It is noteworthy that the Biden administration has repeatedly said: “It does not want another war to break out in the northern part of Israel” and insisted on an end to the expansion.
On the security side, yesterday an Israeli attack on a civilian car was recorded near the town of Al-Qayra in West Bekaa, leading to the killing of its driver. Both tests were recorded at Ramiya and Kaled Varda. The area between al-Dahira and Alma al-Shaab was subjected to phosphorus bombing. Artillery also targeted Al-Maslaq neighborhood in Qiyam city. It also targeted Deir Mimas and Mount Al-Assiya on the outskirts of Kafar Gila. Three raids took place last night in Maz Al-Jabal, Al-Taiba and Talusa.
Hezbollah, for its part, announced that it had targeted a building in Al-Manara settlement with appropriate weapons.
