At least three civilians were killed Thursday in a bombardment carried out by the Israel against a vehicle driving through one of the entrances to the city of Sidon, in southern Israel. LebanonThis attack also wounded five blue helmets of the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL).
“The Israeli enemy attacked a car as it was passing through the Awali-Sidon checkpoint, resulting in the death of three citizens,” the Lebanese Army said in a statement, adding that the shelling wounded “three other soldiers at the checkpoint.”
For its part, the Finul said in another statement that “five peacekeepers were lightly wounded and were treated by the Red Cross Lebanese on the spot,” while assuring that the blue helmets “will remain at their posts” despite the escalation in the intensity of Israel’s bombardment.
According to the note, the convoy attacked was carrying some “newly arrived” Finul soldiers heading towards southern Lebanon and, as it passed through Sidonthere was a drone attack in the vicinity.” “We remind all actors of their obligation to avoid actions that endanger peacekeepers or civilians. Differences must be resolved at the negotiating table, not through violence“, reminded Finul.
According to the Lebanese National News Agency (ANN), Israeli forces targeted a car near a Lebanese Army checkpoint on an access road to Sidon where there were also vehicles of the United Nations peacekeeping mission. The identities of the deceased, whose bodies “have been transferred to the Sidon Governmental Hospital,” according to ANN, are not known at this time.
At the end of October, Israel expanded its bombing campaign around the city of Sidon, a town some 40 kilometers south of Sidon. Beirut to which the residents of the southernmost parts of the country, devastated by the airstrikes.
More than 3,000 people have died and more than 1.2 million others have been forced from their homes since the outbreak of violence just over a year ago, although the vast majority of casualties have occurred since Israel began its massive bombing campaign against Lebanon on September 23.