Archiv: Bodentruppen / Armeen / ground troops / armies


13.01.2025 - 18:00 [ Nachdenkseiten ]

Neue „Division für Heimatschutz“: Legal, illegal, sch…egal

Eine neue „Division für Heimatschutz“ der Bundeswehr verstößt mutmaßlich gegen das Grundgesetz. Einem Einsatz der deutschen Armee im Inland sind enge juristische Grenzen gesetzt, aber das interessiert die Initiatoren des Vorstoßes und die großen Medien nicht.

12.01.2025 - 18:51 [ Politico.eu ]

Germany reportedly boosting domestic defense with new division

The fourth division will oversee Germany‘s domestic defense, including the protection of infrastructure such as ports, railways and supply and deployment routes, the reports said.

04.01.2025 - 15:44 [ AfricaNews.com ]

Police and soldiers from Guatemala, El Salvador arrive for Haiti mission

The 83 security personnel included an advance team of eight soldiers from El Salvador and the first 75 of 150 military police officers from Guatemala.

While the Salvadorans will be providing casualty and medical evacuations in support of the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission, the Guatemalans will be joining operations to take down Haiti’s gangs.

26.12.2024 - 12:22 [ Antiwar.com ]

Pentagon Admits It’s Been Lying About the Number of Troops in Both Iraq and Syria

The Pentagon said on Monday that the US has more troops deployed in Iraq than it has been disclosing, an admission that comes after it revealed there are significantly more US troops in Syria than the US has said.

25.12.2024 - 15:25 [ Daily News Egypt ]

Syria’s Shifting Sands: A New Middle East Order

The final outcome in Syria appears stark: Assad’s regime has fallen, and the Syrian army has been entirely dismantled—an unprecedented event even compared to the 1967 war. Israel now firmly controls the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon. Turkish forces have seized more than 13 cities, cementing their influence. The United States has solidified its presence in oil-rich regions while extending legal protection to the Kurds and the SDF.

20.12.2024 - 13:10 [ Fox News ]

Pentagon says the number of US troops in Syria is much higher than previously reported

After learning of the fluctuation in number of troops, Fox News’ Pentagon correspondent Jennifer Griffin pressed Ryder about the correction to the number of troops and timing.

„This is more than double the number of troops that we’ve been told for quite some time. So, are we talking about this has been going on for months? For Years?“ Griffin asked. „Is this something that just happened this summer? We need a time frame.“

„Yeah, I think it would probably be fair to say at a minimum, months,“ Ryder said. „I’ll go back and look. But it’s…yeah, it’s been going on for a while.“

18.12.2024 - 03:03 [ Antiwar.com ]

US Launches More Airstrikes in Syria, Claims 12 ISIS Fighters Killed

Since Assad’s downfall, the US, Turkey, and Israel have all been bombing Syria. On December 8, the day Assad fled, the US launched heavy airstrikes in Syria, saying it hit 75 ISIS-related targets.

US officials justify the strikes by saying they don’t want ISIS to reconstitute itself following the regime change. But on the other hand, the US has supported the HTS takeover even though the group is designated by the US as a terrorist organization and has a similar ideology to ISIS.

The US has also made clear it has no intention of withdrawing the approximately 900 troops that it has occupying eastern Syria.

11.12.2024 - 09:22 [ enabbaladi.net ]

The US and al-Omar oil field: Military base or oil greed

(September 23, 2022)

On 22 October 2017, SDF announced that its forces, with the support of the International Coalition Forces (ICF), had taken control of the al-Omar oil field, Syria’s largest, after the regime’s alliance had engaged in military operations against it for days.

As SDF installed its spheres of influence in the region as far as the Euphrates River from the eastern side, the al-Omar field is now known as the largest US military base in Syria.

The field in Deir Ezzor’s eastern countryside is the largest oil field in Syria, with a pre-Syrian revolution production of about 30,000 barrels per day.

11.12.2024 - 08:48 [ U.S. Central Command ]

USCENTCOM Commander Visits Syria and Iraq

Syria

Today, Dec. 10, Gen. Kurilla visited U.S. military commanders and servicemembers, as well as our Defeat-ISIS partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, at several bases in Syria. He received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation. USCENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS.

Iraq

After visiting Syria, Gen. Kurilla visited Baghdad where he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia‘ al Sudani, Chief of Staff Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, and Iraqi Joint Operations Deputy Commander Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawai. The leaders discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional security, the rapidly changing situation in Syria, as well as the defeat-ISIS operations in Iraq.

10.12.2024 - 01:33 [ eadaily.com ]

Al Arabiya: Russia handed over facilities to Israel in the Golan Heights area

Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the opening of a front in Syria. Israeli forces occupied Mount Hermon from the Syrian side in the Golan Heights, from where the Syrian army withdrew, Israeli and Arab media reported. N12 TV channel noted that „in fact, this is the first IDF presence in the area after the Yom Kippur War.“

07.12.2024 - 21:48 [ Le Monde ]

Syrian rebels say they are encircling Damascus

Daraa and Quneitra are near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, where Israel said it was boosting its troop presence, and Jordan, which late Friday urged its citizens to leave Syria „as soon as possible.“

Iraq allowed hundreds of troops from the Syrian army in, some of them wounded, amid the offensive, according to two Iraqi security sources speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The soldiers from President Bashar al-Assad‘s forces „have fled the front lines“ and entered Iraq through the Al-Qaim border crossing, said one senior security official, adding that „the wounded have been hospitalized“ in the area.

07.12.2024 - 21:21 [ Middle East Eye ]

Israel says it‘s repelling attack on UN peacekeepers in occupied Golan Heights

According to Israel, a UN post on the edge of the UN-patrolled buffer zone in the occupied Golan Heights came under attack.

„The [Israeli army] is currently assisting the UN forces in repelling the attack,“ Israel said.

07.12.2024 - 21:12 [ Jerusalem Post ]

IDF calls troops to Golan as rebels force Syrian army from border province

On Friday, the military completed a General Staff exercise in the northern Jordan Valley and the southern Golan Heights.

During the exercise, General Staff readiness was drilled by the Operations Directorate, by both air and land, to assess response time and reaction to an emerging incident in real time.

07.12.2024 - 16:59 [ United Nations Security Council ]

Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force for the period from 4 September to 19 November 2014

(01.12.2014)

5. In view of the heavy fighting, which was approaching close to the UNDOF headquarters at Camp Faouar and the mission’s positions in the central part of the area of separation, the Force Commander briefed both parties early in September on the Force’s plans to relocate its personnel and assets should the Nusra Front or other extremist fighters who posed a clear threat to the mission endanger the safety and security of the United Nations personnel. It should be noted here that from information posted on social media as well as in the course of its efforts to secure the release of the peacekeepers, the United Nations learned that its personnel had been taken and held by members of the Nusra Front. There were indications that the Nusra Front intended to detain additional UNDOF personnel and take from UNDOF more weapons and vehicles as opportunities arose. (…)

12. Crossing of the ceasefire line by civilians, primarily shepherds, was observed on an almost daily basis. On 24 October, United Nations observation post 73 observed 12 IDF soldiers who detained one civilian between the Alpha line and the Israeli technical fence south-east of the observation post and subsequently took him away. IDF informed UNDOF that they released the person within one hour at the same location. On 27 October, position 80 observed two IDF soldiers east of the technical fence returning from the direction of the Alpha line towards the technical fence. UNDOF observed IDF opening the technical fence gate and letting two individuals pass from the Bravo to the Alpha side. Following the evacuation of UNDOF personnel from position 85 on 28 August, UNDOF sporadically observed armed members of the opposition interacting with IDF across the ceasefire line in the vicinity of United Nations position 85.

07.12.2024 - 16:53 [ UN Tribune ]

UN Peacekeepers Observe IDF Interacting With Al Nusra in Golan

(4.12.2014)

UN troops monitoring the 1974 ceasefire between Israel and Syria have witnessed interactions between members of the Israeli Defence Forces and the Al Nusra Front who have taken over a large part of the Golan Heights.

29.11.2024 - 20:44 [ Anadolu ]

Trump wants US troops out of Syria, says Robert F Kennedy Jr

(November 8, 2024)

Kennedy described Trump’s particular focus on the border between Syria and Türkiye.

„He said we have 500 men on the border of Syria and Türkiye, and a little encampment that was bombed. He said there‘s 750,000 troops in Türkiye. There‘s 250,000 militants in Syria. If they go up against each other, we‘re in the middle.“

According to Kennedy, Trump later asked his generals what would happen if a conflict broke out, to which they reportedly replied, „They‘re going to be cannon fodder.“

Trump’s response was decisive: „Get them out.“

28.11.2024 - 12:25 [ Associated Press ]

White House pressing Ukraine to draft 18-year-olds so it has enough troops to battle Russia

(November 28, 2024)

A senior Biden administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private consultations, said Wednesday that the outgoing Democratic administration wants Ukraine to lower the mobilization age to 18 from the current age of 25 to expand the pool of fighting-age men available to help a badly outnumbered Ukraine in its nearly three-year-old war with Russia.

The official said “the pure math” of Ukraine’s situation now is that it needs more troops in the fight

28.11.2024 - 12:21 [ Antiwar.com ]

White House Pressing Ukraine To Draft 18-Year-Olds for War

(November 27, 2024)

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan recently hinted that the US was pressuring Ukraine to expand conscription, saying Ukraine’s biggest problem in the war was the lack of manpower.

“Our view has been that there’s not one weapon system that makes a difference in this battle. It’s about manpower, and Ukraine needs to do more, in our view, to firm up its lines in terms of the number of forces it has on the front lines,” Sullivan said on PBS News Hour last week.

28.11.2024 - 09:31 [ Forbes ]

50,000 Russians Are Poised To Attack 20,000 Ukrainians In Kursk. Ukrainian Brigades Are Bracing For A ‘Massive’ Fight.

(November 24, 2024)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given his general until early February to eject the Ukrainians from western Russia. But the real deadline, it seems, is the Jan. 20 inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to end Russia’s wider war on Ukraine but whose offhand proposals hinge on an unenforceable ceasefire that would freeze the front line in place.

28.11.2024 - 08:34 [ CNN ]

Ukraine is relying on drones to hold back Russian advances. Troops on the frontline are fearing the worst

Ukraine cannot match Moscow’s numbers, or a tolerance for casualties that Western officials claim is resulting in up to 1,200 dead or injured daily across the frontlines. Kyiv’s manpower crisis has been palpable in Pokrovsk for weeks, soldiers around the eastern front told CNN, and Moscow’s savage tactics are seeing persistent success.

“The situation is very critical,” said East, the callsign of a commander of a drone unit with Ukraine’s 15th National Guard working around Pokrovsk. “We lack infantry to fight and hold out for some time while the drones do their work. That’s why we often see situations where the enemy uncontrollably penetrates vulnerable areas.”

26.11.2024 - 19:00 [ IsraelHayom.com ]

Herzi Halevi attends chiefs of staff conference in Britain

srael Hayom has learned that IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi participated in a Chiefs of Staff conference in Britain over the past two days. This is considered an unusual step, amid the ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon.

Halevi departed two days ago and returned last night (Monday-Tuesday). During his two-day visit, against the backdrop of de-escalation efforts in northern Israel, Halevi met with Chiefs of Staff from various countries and provided an overview of the situation in the Middle East.

26.11.2024 - 18:35 [ Middle East Eye ]

US troops set to oversee deployment of Lebanese army during ceasefire: Report


US troops
are set to oversee the deployment of Lebanon‘s army to southern Lebanon and Israel‘s withdrawal from the area as part of a looming ceasefire deal, according to a Monday report on Israel Hayom news.

25.11.2024 - 16:44 [ Politico.eu ]

UK army chief: We’re ready to fight Putin in Eastern Europe

„If the British Army was asked to fight tonight, it would fight tonight,“ Rob Magowan, the deputy chief of the British defense staff, told the House of Commons defense committee. „I don‘t think anybody in this room should be under any illusion that if the Russians invaded Eastern Europe tonight, then we would meet them in that fight.“

The striking comments came as MPs asked Magowan Thursday how many British brigades could get to NATO‘s eastern flank in the event of a major escalation by Russia.

13.11.2024 - 12:59 [ Reuters ]

US carried out strikes against Iranian linked targets in Syria

(November 11, 2024)

The U.S. military said on Monday it had carried out strikes against nine targets associated with Iranian groups in Syria.
(…)
The U.S. has 900 troops in Syria, and 2,500 more in neighboring Iraq, on a mission to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swathes of both countries but was later defeated.

31.10.2024 - 08:28 [ KBS.co.kr ]

Nordkorea feuert im Vorfeld der US-Präsidentschaftswahl mutmaßliche Interkontinentalrakete ab

Dies ist der erste ICBM-Start Nordkoreas in diesem Jahr und der erste seit zehn Monaten. Zuletzt hatte das Land am 18. Dezember letzten Jahres eine Interkontinentalrakete mit Feststoffantrieb vom Typ Hwasong-18 abgefeuert.

Hinter dem Raketenstart wird die Absicht Nordkoreas vermutet, im Vorfeld der US-Präsidentschaftswahlen am 5. November mit einer Interkontinentalrakete Präsenz zu demonstrieren. Denn eine solche Rakete könnte auch das US-Festland erreichen.

31.10.2024 - 08:23 [ New York Times ]

North Korea, in the Spotlight Over Ukraine, Launches a Long-Range Missile

The missile landed in waters between North Korea and Japan.

The military said it was analyzing data to learn more about the missile, but that it believed it was an ICBM. North Korea last tested a long-range missile​ in December, when it test-fired its solid-fueled Hwasong-18 ICBM.

North Korea confirmed later Thursday that its military had launched an ICBM, saying that its leader, Kim Jong-un, had been present.

29.10.2024 - 10:10 [ Pentagon ]

Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh Holds an Off-Camera, On-The-Record Press Briefing

Q: So, just to follow up on that, let‘s say US weapons are used to kill North Korean soldiers and that could have far reaching implications. I mean, how do you handle that, or you have — will you have limits on what US weapons can be used if it‘s a bunch of North Korean soldiers?

MS. SINGH: No. I think I mentioned this on Thursday and the secretary has said this as well — If North Korea — if we see DPRK troops moving in and towards the front lines, I mean, they are co-belligerents in the war. And so, they are fighting on these front lines and the Ukrainians are defending their sovereign territory and pushing the Russians back.

(…)

MS. SINGH: I don‘t have more details on the type of troops or equipment capabilities that they have. In terms of the numbers, what I have is that, you know, we estimate

approximately 10,000 are moving to train in eastern Russia. That is going to help augment Russian forces.

Again, don‘t have more fidelity to share right now on kind of what their makeup looks like, capabilities, etc. But, you know, we‘ll of course keep you updated on that.

29.10.2024 - 09:55 [ APNews.com ]

North Korea has sent about 10,000 troops to Russia to likely fight against Ukraine, Pentagon says

Adding thousands of North Korean soldiers to Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II will pile more pressure on Ukraine’s weary and overstretched army. It will also stoke geopolitical tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the wider Indo-Pacific region, including Japan and Australia, Western officials say.

28.10.2024 - 20:00 [ North Atlantic Treaty Organization ]

Doorstep statement by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte following the North Atlantic Council briefing on the DPRK’s troop deployment to Russia

Good morning. This morning, a delegation from the Republic of Korea, a close NATO partner, briefed the North Atlantic Council and our other Indo-Pacific partners – Australia, Japan and New Zealand – on North Korea‘s growing involvement in Russia‘s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.

The delegation included senior representatives from the Republic of Korea‘s National Intelligence Service and Ministry of National Defence. Allies also shared their intelligence assessments. Today, I can confirm that North Korean troops have been sent to Russia, and that North Korean military units have been deployed to the Kursk region.

25.10.2024 - 12:12 [ USA Today ]

North Korean troops in Russia, US defense secretary says

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that there is evidence North Korean troops are in Russia, branding their presence a „very serious“ escalation in the war that started with Russia‘s unprovoked invasion in 2022 and has left tens of thousands dead.

25.10.2024 - 05:50 [ Sevim Dagdelen, Mitglied des Bundestages ]

Vernunft und Frieden statt Kriegsbesoffenheit

(October 17, 2024)

Ich nenne Ihnen nur zwei Beispiele. In wenigen Tagen, am 21. Oktober 2024, eröffnet diese Bundesregierung eine NATO-Kommandozentrale in Rostock. Die schwedische Presse berichtet, dass dort auch 30 schwedische NATO-Soldaten stationiert werden sollen.

(Jürgen Coße (SPD): Und das ist gefährlich?)

Jetzt hören wir wieder von Leuten, die das Twittern von legal-illegal-scheissegal-verfassungswidrig-StaatNATO-Pressemitteilungen mit wissenschaftlicher Arbeit verwechseln, das sei ja gar keine Stationierung, weil diese Soldaten alle zwei Jahre rotieren. Wer soll Ihnen diesen Schwindel eigentlich abnehmen?

(Beifall beim BSW)

Im Zwei-plus-Vier-Vertrag ist ganz klar festgeschrieben, dass ausländische Truppen nicht im Beitrittsgebiet stationiert werden dürfen. Die NATO-Soldaten sind doch nicht zum Segeln in Rostock. Mit der Stationierung ausländischer NATO-Truppen in Rostock verletzt diese Bundesregierung den Einigungsvertrag,

(Johannes Arlt (SPD): Was?)

und ich fürchte, Ihnen ist die Tragweite Ihrer Völkerrechtsverletzung gar nicht klar.

(Beifall beim BSW)

Dieser Wahnsinn muss jedenfalls gestoppt werden.

Zweites Beispiel. Ab 2026 wollen Sie US-Raketen in Deutschland stationieren, die russische Kommandozentralen präventiv ausschalten können sollen….

23.10.2024 - 09:10 [ Middle East Eye ]

Israel suspected of using white phosphorus on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon: Report

The reported incident occurred on 13 October, when the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) said two Israeli Merkava tanks broke through the gates of one of its bases. The tanks left after 45 minutes, following complaints from Unifil.

The Financial Times does not specify in its report where the incident took place, but on that same day, two tanks were reported to have hit the post of a Unifil base in Ramya, a town in southern Lebanon. Unifil said its peacekeepers were being treated for skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions.

Within the next hour after the tanks left, several rounds were fired 100 metres north of the Unifil base, and the rounds emitted a „smoke of suspected white phosphorous“ that ultimately injured 15 peacekeepers.

21.10.2024 - 19:15 [ Pravda.com.ua/ ]

NATO Secretary General on reports of possible deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine

Source: Rutter on X (Twitter)

Rutte discussed with President Yoon the information regarding the possible deployment of North Korean troops to fight in the war against Ukraine.

Quote: „North Korea sending troops to fight alongside Russia in Ukraine would mark a significant escalation,“ Rutte said.

They also talked about Seoul‘s partnership with NATO, defence cooperation, and interconnected security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions.

21.10.2024 - 18:21 [ KBS.co.kr ]

Nordkorea schweigt zu Seouls Angaben über Truppenentsendung

Nordkorea hat sich zur Bekanntgabe der südkoreanischen Regierung über eine Entsendung nordkoreanischer Soldaten nach Russland bislang nicht geäußert.

Der südkoreanische Geheimdienst (NIS) hatte am Freitag mitgeteilt, dass 1.500 nordkoreanische Soldaten ins russische Wladiwostok verlegt worden seien.

21.10.2024 - 18:13 [ AlArabiya.net ]

What we know about North Korean troops joining Russia’s war in Ukraine

On Friday, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) said the North had shipped 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s Far East for training and acclimatizing at military bases there, probably to be deployed for combat in the war.

21.10.2024 - 11:50 [ Middle East Eye ]

THAAD anti-missile system ‚in place‘ in Israel, US says

Austin declined to say whether the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system, or THAAD was operational.

19.10.2024 - 20:50 [ TRTdeutsch.com ]

Bundestag verlängert Irak-Einsatz der Bundeswehr

Der Bundestag hat das Mandat für den Einsatz deutscher Soldaten im Irak um weitere 15 Monate verlängert. Für die Fortsetzung stimmte eine deutliche Mehrheit von 539 der anwesenden Abgeordneten (Nein: 93, Enthaltung: 2), wie das Präsidium nach namentlicher Abstimmung verkündete.

15.10.2024 - 21:45 [ Washington Post ]

Biden sends antimissile system and 100 troops to Israel, deepening U.S. role

(Updated October 13, 2024 at 7:27 p.m. EDT)

The shipment, which will be delivered at an unknown date, is the latest example of Biden using “carrots” rather than sticks to induce Israel into less aggressive behavior, Mann said.

14.10.2024 - 05:52 [ 20min.ch ]

Guterres nennt Angriff auf UNO-Basis «mögliche Kriegsverbrechen»

Das Aussendepartement hat den israelischen Vorstoss in einen UN-Stützpunkt verurteilt.
Zuvor hatten israelische Panzer das Tor zu einer Unifil-Einrichtung durchbrochen, über ein Dutzend Blauhelme wurden verletzt.
Auch der Papst hat dazu aufgerufen, die «Friedenstruppen zu respektieren».

14.10.2024 - 05:35 [ France24.com ]

UN chief says attacks on UNIFIL ‚may constitute a war crime‘

(Issued on: 13/10/2024 – 22:57)

„In a deeply worrying incident that occurred today, the entrance door of a UN position was deliberately breached by IDF armored vehicles,“ he added in a statement.

At least five peacekeepers have been wounded in recent days as Israel targets Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

13.10.2024 - 20:55 [ United Nations ]

Lebanon: IDF tanks force entry into UN peacekeeping position, UNIFIL reports

According to the Mission, at about 04:30 (local time), while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate and entered the position.

“They requested multiple times that the base turn out its lights,” UNIFIL said in a statement.

The tanks left about 45 minutes later after the Mission protested through its liaison mechanism, saying that IDF presence was putting peacekeepers in danger.

At around 06:40, peacekeepers at the same position reported the firing of several rounds 100 metres (about 110 yards) north, which emitted smoke.

Despite putting on protective masks, fifteen peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after the smoke entered the camp,” UNIFIL reported.

The affected peacekeepers are receiving treatment.

13.10.2024 - 20:49 [ Times of Israel ]

Netanyahu: UN must withdraw south Lebanon peacekeepers from combat zones

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on the United Nations to immediately pull its peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon from areas where Israel is battling Hezbollah, saying that the terror group is using the international troops as “human shields.”

Netanyahu’s comments came as the UN peacekeeping force said two Israel Defense Forces tanks had entered a United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon position Sunday.

13.10.2024 - 19:30 [ topbuzztimes.com ]

Poland promotes joint declaration with 40 countries to protect UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon

The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Poland before the United Nations promoted a proposal, signed by 40 countries who provide funds and troops to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), to condemn the recent attacks of of Israel against its base in Naqoura (in the south of the country) and five peacekeepers were injured in just three days. “We call for respecting the UN mission and guaranteeing the safety of people,” dictates his message published on the social network X.

13.10.2024 - 19:26 [ France24.com ]

40 nations contributing to UN Lebanon peacekeeping force condemn ‚attacks‘

The 40 contributing countries „reaffirm our full support for UNIFIL‘s mission and activities, whose principal aim is to bring stabilization and lasting peace in South Lebanon as well as in the Middle East,“ the statement read.

„We urge the parties of the conflict to respect UNIFIL‘s presence, which entails the obligation to guarantee the safety and security of its personnel at all times,“ it added.

UNIFIL, which involves about 9,500 troops of some 50 nationalities, is tasked with monitoring a ceasefire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.