The Governments of Spain, France and Italy summon the diplomatic representations of Israel in their countries to ask for official explanations after the attacks against the UN bases in Lebanon, which have left at least four peacekeepers injured.
The Government of Spain has summoned this morning to the chargé d’affaires – a senior diplomat – of the Israeli Embassy “to protest the unjustified attacks by the Israeli Army” against the positions of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (FPNUL). Hours later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its “firm condemnation” of the attacks, which have “injured two other peacekeepers”.
A day earlier, the same Ministry “strongly condemned the Israeli shots” that had “reached the headquarters of UNIFIL in Naqura”, wounding two peacekeepers. None of the wounded soldiers belong to the Spanish armyas Foreign sources have informed the Spanish press.
The Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, confirmed that the first two wounded soldiers are from Indonesian nationality. The Lebanese media assure that the other two wounded, one of whom would be in serious conditionthey are from Sri Lanka.
An Embassy without an ambassador
Spain’s decision to summon the Israeli official comes after the governments of Italy and France take the same measurement. Unlike Spain, they were able to summon the ambassadors in their respective countries.
The new Israeli ambassador to Spain, Zvi Vapni, was call for consultations in Israel after the official recognition of the State of Palestine by the Government led by Pedro Sánchez. Rodica Radian-Gordon, the previous ambassador, had to end his term from Israel.
He Government has taken advantage of the call of the senior official to protestalso, for “the recent comments about Spain and the Spanish.” Recently, the Israeli Foreign Ministry referred to Spain on social media as “a paradise to sow hatred and incite the destruction of Israel” in the face of demonstration convened in Madrid on October 7.
Reactions spread across Europe
The Minister of Defense of Italy, Guido Crosettohas also reiterated its firm condemnation, not only of the attacks against UNIFIL structures, but also of the requests that have come from one’s own command of Israel.
“We are and we will continue to be in Lebanon. International law must be respected by everyone, including Israel. If Tel Aviv has complaints to make, let it make them at the UN, not asking us to move. We are there to defend peacebased on a decision taken by the UN and signed, among others, by all countries. Lebanon and Israel included. So we won’t move“.
Crosetto added that “that territory is not under Lebanese controlbut granted by the UN.” Regarding the attacks, the minister said he was “angry, because we do not understand for what military reasons those shots were fired. We have asked for explanations officers.”
For his part, the french foreign ministerJean-Noël Barrot, summoned the Israeli ambassador to France this Friday. “Two blue helmets were injured today, according to a provisional report, after a new israeli attack against a UNIFIL watchtower in Naqura. “One of them is in critical condition,” he said in a statement.
After condemning the “serious violations of international law”, France asked the Israeli authorities to “explain themselves”. He continued: “Therefore, France summon the ambassador today of Israel in France before the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs”.
