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STORY: GENEVA / LEBANON UNIFIL INTERVIEW
TRT: 3:13
SOURCE: UNTV CH
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 14 OCTOBER 2024, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters in Geneva
14 OCTOBER 2024, GENEVA, SWIZTERLAND
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrea Tenenti, United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) Spokesperson (via Zoom from Beirut):
“There have been some deliberate attacks against our troops, and peacekeepers were injured. So this is not only a violation of Resolution 1701, it is also a serious violation of international humanitarian law, and the parties have the obligation to protect peacekeepers and ensure the safety and security of our troops.”
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
3. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters in Geneva
14 OCTOBER 2024, GENEVA, SWIZTERLAND
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrea Tenenti, United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) Spokesperson (via Zoom from Beirut):
“The communication channel is still open, so we still are in constant touch and communication with the Israeli defense forces. This has not stopped. I understand that they're carrying out an investigation on what happened, but I think it's very clear that when you hit a tower inside a UNIFIL headquarters, which is a visible tower, or you hit the cameras of one of our positions or the communications, or the illumination, or you enter with drones close to a bunker is definitely concerning because we see it as a deliberate attack against our troops.”
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
5. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters in Geneva
14 OCTOBER 2024, GENEVA, SWIZTERLAND
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrea Tenenti, United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) Spokesperson (via Zoom from Beirut):
“The situation is definitely concerning, especially after the Israeli defense forces told us to move from some of the positions close to the blue line we are staying. It's important that it was a decision taken because we are in the south of Lebanon under a security Council mandate. So it's important to keep an international presence and to keep the UN flag in the area.”
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
7. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters in Geneva
14 OCTOBER 2024, GENEVA, SWIZTERLAND
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrea Tenenti, United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) Spokesperson (via Zoom from Beirut):
“It's very crucial for UNIFIL to be in the south, to be able to monitor and report to the Security Council. And understandably at the moment our monitoring capabilities have been limited because of the of the ongoing shelling and bombing in the area, but we are still monitoring the situation. We still are capable of keeping some limited monitoring of the operations, but the most important part is to be able to assist and provide assistance to local communities and people that are stuck in villages in the south of Lebanon, and in need of water and food. Thousands of people have left the south of Lebanon, but there's still a lot of people that need the most basic supplies.”
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
9. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters in Geneva
14 OCTOBER 2024, GENEVA, SWIZTERLAND
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrea Tenenti, United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) Spokesperson (via Zoom from Beirut):
“What is needed now is a political and diplomatic solution to this conflict. It's important for Member States, for main stakeholders, to step in and find viable solutions to this conflict, because, as I said, the military solutions that we're seeing right now is not the solution. The only solution is the political and diplomatic.”
FILE – GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
11. Wide shot, United Nations Headquarters in Geneva
UN mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said that Israeli Defense Forces’ “deliberate attacks” against peacekeepers is a violation of Resolution 1701, and a “serious violation” of international humanitarian law. “The parties have the obligation to protect peacekeepers and ensure the safety and security of our troops,” he added.
Speaking via video link from Beirut today (14 Oct), Tenenti said that the communication channel with the Israeli Defense Forces “is still open.”
He said, “I understand that they're carrying out an investigation on what happened, but I think it's very clear that when you hit a tower inside a UNIFIL headquarters, which is a visible tower, or you hit the cameras of one of our positions or the communications, or the illumination, or you enter with drones close to a bunker is definitely concerning because we see it as a deliberate attack against our troops.”
The UNIFIL Spokesperson highlighted, “The situation is definitely concerning, especially after the Israeli Defense Forces told us to move from some of the positions close to the blue line we are staying.”
“It's important that it was a decision taken because we are in the south of Lebanon under a security Council mandate. So it's important to keep an international presence and to keep the UN flag in the area,” Tenenti added.
The UNIFIL Spokesperson also said, “It's very crucial for UNIFIL to be in the south, to be able to monitor and report to the Security Council.”
He continued, “understandably at the moment our monitoring capabilities have been limited because of the of the ongoing shelling and bombing in the area, but we are still monitoring the situation. We still are capable of keeping some limited monitoring of the operations, but the most important part is to be able to assist and provide assistance to local communities and people that are stuck in villages in the south of Lebanon, and in need of water and food.”
“Thousands of people have left the south of Lebanon, but there's still a lot of people that need the most basic supplies,” Tenenti further explained.
The UNIFIL Spokesperson reiterated, “What is needed now is a political and diplomatic solution to this conflict. It's important for Member States, for main stakeholders, to step in and find viable solutions to this conflict”
He concluded, “the military solutions that we're seeing right now is not the solution. The only solution is the political and diplomatic.”
