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STORY: UN / LEBANON UPDATE
TRT: 03:16
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 10 OCTOBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters
10 OCTOBER 2024, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, UN spokesperson at dais
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“You will have seen that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a statement this morning saying that two of its peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall. The injuries are fortunately - this time - not serious, but the peacekeepers remain in the hospital. In a separate incident, Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system. An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance. Also, UNIFIL says that, yesterday, IDF soldiers deliberately fired at and disabled the position’s perimeter-monitoring cameras. They also deliberately fired on UNP 1-32A in Ras Naqoura - where regular Tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began. Lights and a relay station were damaged. UNIFIL reminds the IDF and all parties of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times. UNIFIL peacekeepers are present in south Lebanon to support a return to stability under a Security Council mandate. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701. Our peacekeepers are following up with the IDF on these matters. This comes as the recent escalation along the Blue Line is causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in south Lebanon, while rockets continue to be launched towards Israel, including civilian areas. In the past days, our peacekeepers say incursions from Israel into Lebanon were seen in Naqoura and other areas. IDF soldiers have clashed with Hezbollah elements on the ground in Lebanon.”
4. Wide shot, press briefing room
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, United Nations:
“Staying in Lebanon, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that despite the challenges and a tense security situation, humanitarian organizations continue to deliver aid in coordination with national and local authorities. Today, a joint mission comprising UN and NGO partners delivered 12 trucks of aid to the towns of Rmeish, Ain Ebel, and Debel in the south of the country. The supplies included food, water, hygiene kits and will support more than 4,000 people. This was the first mission there since July 2024. UNICEF has also delivered 33 tons of medical supplies to the Ministry of Public Health, including emergency health kits to ensure safe deliveries for pregnant women, as well as essential medicine. To maintain these efforts, we urgently need additional funding. While commitments are appreciated, immediate contributions to the $426 million Flash Appeal – which is twelve per cent funded – are vital to continue the response.”
6. Med shot, journalists
Briefing reporters in New York today (10 Oct) on the situation in Lebanon, a UN spokesperson said, “you will have seen that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a statement this morning saying that two of its peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall. The injuries are fortunately - this time - not serious, but the peacekeepers remain in the hospital.
In a separate incident, Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system. An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance.”
UN spokesperson Farhan Haq also said, “UNIFIL says that, yesterday, IDF soldiers deliberately fired at and disabled the position’s perimeter-monitoring cameras. They also deliberately fired on UNP 1-32A in Ras Naqoura - where regular Tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began. Lights and a relay station were damaged. UNIFIL reminds the IDF and all parties of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times. UNIFIL peacekeepers are present in south Lebanon to support a return to stability under a Security Council mandate. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701. Our peacekeepers are following up with the IDF on these matters. This comes as the recent escalation along the Blue Line is causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in south Lebanon, while rockets continue to be launched towards Israel, including civilian areas. In the past days, our peacekeepers say incursions from Israel into Lebanon were seen in Naqoura and other areas. IDF soldiers have clashed with Hezbollah elements on the ground in Lebanon.”
Haq continued, “the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that despite the challenges and a tense security situation, humanitarian organizations continue to deliver aid in coordination with national and local authorities. Today, a joint mission comprising UN and NGO partners delivered 12 trucks of aid to the towns of Rmeish, Ain Ebel, and Debel in the south of the country. The supplies included food, water, hygiene kits and will support more than 4,000 people. This was the first mission there since July 2024. UNICEF has also delivered 33 tons of medical supplies to the Ministry of Public Health, including emergency health kits to ensure safe deliveries for pregnant women, as well as essential medicine. To maintain these efforts, we urgently need additional funding. While commitments are appreciated, immediate contributions to the $426 million Flash Appeal – which is twelve per cent funded – are vital to continue the response.”
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