BEIRUT, Sept 5 (NNN-NNA) – Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Stefano Del Col, said that UNIFIL remains closely engaged with Israel and Lebanon, to contain tensions and incidents, and enable a safe and secure environment along the Blue Line.
Del Col’s remarks came during his meeting with Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, following escalations between Lebanon and Israel on the border.
“My priority was to quickly deescalate the situation and restore calm in the area, which was achieved through intensive engagement with the parties, during the course of the developments,” a statement issued by the UNIFIL quoted Del Col as saying.
“Once again, UNIFIL’s liaison and coordination mechanism played a critical role in de-conflicting the situation along the Blue Line,” he added.
Tensions have escalated in the past week, after a series of airstrikes conducted on Aug 24 by the Israeli Defence Forces in Syria, killing two Hezbollah fighters, followed by an attack on Aug 25, by two Israeli drones on Beirut’s southern suburbs.
These two incidents prompted Hezbollah to retaliate a week later, by destroying an Israel military vehicle in Avivim, north of Israel.– NNN-NNA
