Andrea Tinneti, the official spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), stated that the situation regarding UNIFIL operations in southern Lebanon has been calmer in recent days, despite an incident where an UNIFIL patrol came under fire from the Israeli army in the town of Aitaroun last Saturday. Tinneti clarified in statements to Sputnik that "no peacekeepers were injured in the incident, but their vehicle was damaged," noting that this occurred just one day after the UNIFIL mission leader urged those exchanging fire to stop the cycle of violence, reminding everyone that "further escalation could have devastating consequences."
Tinneti pointed out that UNIFIL lodged a protest regarding these incidents and reminded the parties of their obligation to protect peacekeeping forces. He confirmed that "Resolution 1701 remains in effect despite the challenges it faces, and we are certainly experiencing challenges at the moment; the priorities and key monitoring points of Resolution 1701 remain in place, along with UNIFIL's presence on the ground to prevent conflict and the important role that UNIFIL plays in facilitating dialogue with the Lebanese side and the Israel Defense Forces."
He highlighted that "the role of our mission leader involves gathering messages and possibly also de-escalating conflicts, reducing tensions, and preventing misunderstandings, which has kept this conflict quite balanced so far; the situation has been more calm in recent days." Tinneti emphasized that "the cooperation between UNIFIL and the Lebanese government and army remains very good, and we continue to coordinate closely with the Lebanese army, holding regular meetings and discussions with Lebanese authorities aimed at calming the situation and alleviating tensions." He mentioned that "Lebanese authorities have expressed their commitment to Resolution 1701 several times and are not prepared to escalate at this time."
