Israeli forces have acted illegally by shooting at positions used by UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, according to Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, who denounced it as a possible “war crime”.
“This was not a mistake and not an accident,” Crosetto told a news conference. “It could constitute a war crime and represented a very serious violation of international humanitarian law,” he said.
Crosetto said he had contacted his Israeli counterpart to protest and had also summonsed the Israeli ambassador to Italy to demand an explanation, which was not yet forthcoming.
Meanwhile, China expressed “grave concern and strong condemnation” of the incidents.
“China expresses grave concern and strong condemnation over the Israeli Defense Forces’ attack on UNIFIL positions and observation posts, which resulted in injuries to UNIFIL personnel,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, referring to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
TWEET YOUR COMMENT