France Demands UNSC Measures After Israeli Attacks on UN Peacekeepers

(MENAFN) France escalated diplomatic pressure at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, demanding concrete measures — not mere condemnation — against Israel over a series of attacks targeting UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, as China and Russia added their voices to calls for immediate de-escalation.

French UN envoy Jerome Bonnafont laid out a damning account before the council, detailing what he described as "grave incidents" carried out by Israeli forces against the French military contingent stationed in Naqoura, including an incident directly involving the head of the peacekeeping force. Israeli soldiers, he said, had displayed an "aggressive attitude," engaged in deliberate intimidation, and endangered French personnel — all despite established deconfliction protocols being fully observed on the French side.

Bonnafont condemned "in the strongest terms" threats directed at United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel, insisting the mission "must be allowed to carry out its mandate in full, without hindrance," consistent with existing UNSC resolutions. He then issued a direct challenge to the council's credibility: "The council cannot settle for condemning. It must act."

China's deputy UN envoy Sun Lei threw his weight behind Paris, invoking the specter of Gaza to underscore the stakes. "Lebanon must not become another Gaza," Sun warned, urging the international community "never to allow the tragedy of Gaza to be repeated." He demanded that all parties "immediately cease hostilities," called for Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanese territory, and stressed the need to uphold Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Russia's UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia traced the roots of the Lebanese escalation directly to what he termed the "aggression" of Washington and Tel Aviv against Iran, characterizing it as the ignition point for widening regional instability. He also took aim at what he characterized as a "one-sided approach" among certain council members — a thinly veiled reference to Western powers.

Washington struck a markedly more cautious tone. US envoy Mike Waltz urged the council "to pause and reserve judgment" pending a full UN investigation into the incidents. Noting that more than 300 UNIFIL peacekeepers have lost their lives since the mission's founding in 1978, Waltz called for a careful assessment of the force's operational effectiveness while reaffirming American commitment to reducing tensions and preserving Lebanese sovereignty.

The emergency session was convened against a deteriorating backdrop on the ground. UNIFIL confirmed Monday that two peacekeepers had been killed when an explosion of undetermined origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan in the Marjeyoun district — the second fatal incident within a 24-hour window. The day prior, one peacekeeper was killed and another wounded after a projectile struck a UN position near Adshit al-Qusayr in southern Lebanon. Both incidents are under active investigation.

Israel has sustained an air and ground campaign across southern Lebanon since a cross-border Hezbollah offensive on March 2 — pressing ahead despite a ceasefire that nominally took effect in November 2024. Lebanese authorities report that at least 1,247 people have been killed and a further 3,690 injured in Israeli strikes since the resumption of hostilities.

UNIFIL has maintained a presence in southern Lebanon since 1978, with its mandate significantly expanded under Security Council Resolution 1701 in the aftermath of the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

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