The ministers of defence of 16
European countries contributing to UNIFIL expressed the
intention of putting pressure on Israel to prevent further
incidents after UNIFIL positions in southern Lebanon came under
fire amid clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah
militants, during a video conference on Wednesday chaired by
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and French Minister
Sébastien Lecornu.
The ministers expressed the "shared will to exercise utmost
political and diplomatic pressure on Israel so further incidents
will not occur", the defence ministry said.
"At the same time, it was clarified that Hezbollah cannot use
UNIFIL personnel as a shield in the context of the conflict", it
noted.
The ministers of defence also agreed on the "importance of
maintaining a stable presence in Lebanon, stressing that each
decision concerning the future of the UNIFIL mission will need
to be taken collectively within the UN".
The meeting promoted by Crosetto and Lecornu had the "objective
of defining unitary action for the European contribution to the
UNIFIL mission in light of recent developments in southern
Lebanon.
The ministers moreover expressed "with force the need to revise
the rules of engagement in order to allow UNIFIL to operate in a
more effective and secure manner".
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