UN mission in Lebanon aids civilians as fighting persists

With heavy fighting between Israel and Hizbollah continuing in Lebanon today, the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) there continued providing aid to civilians while protesting to both sides for firing near its positions.

There were two incidents of firing close to UNIFIL positions from the Israeli side in the area of Marwahin and Deir Mimess in the past 24 hours. At the same time, it was reported that Hizbollah fired from the vicinity of six UN positions at Tibnin (2), At Tiri, Beit Yahoun, and Alma Ash Shab (2). UNIFIL “strongly protested all these incidents to the Israeli and Lebanese authorities respectively,” the mission said.

Last week, a UN post was destroyed during an Israeli bombardment, leaving four dead. While the remains of three have been recovered, the search operation for the body of the fourth Observer Group Lebanon (OGL) military observer in Khiyam remains suspended, because UNIFIL is not able to reach the position and bring heavy engineering equipment to remove the debris.

The UNIFIL engineering team from China completed a search operation in the Hosh area of Tyre, and recovered the remains of one adult and one child from the debris.

UNIFIL provided a humanitarian escort and transportation to a group of 421 Lebanese civilians from a UN position in the area of Al Duhayra to Tyre. Six civilians were also transported from UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura to Tyre.

UNIFIL medical teams provided assistance and treatment to three civilians, including one child, who were injured during the shelling at the Ain Arab village. One wounded woman was evacuated from the village of Ain Arab to the hospital in Marjayoun. Another two injured civilians received medical treatment at the UNIFIL hospital in Naqoura and were subsequently evacuated to Tyre.

The mission's Indian battalion provided assistance and escort to the Electricity Department in Marjayoun to repair and restore the power supply, and to the local authorities in Ibil as Saqi and El Meri to restore power and water supply to the villages in that area.