“Soon the suburbs of Beirut will become like Khan Younis.” Bezalel Smotrich said this live from northern Israel. finance minister in the Netanyahu government and far-right exponent. The dream, or nightmare for those who live there, of extending the country’s borders from the river to the seais making its way with bombings. Without sparing anyone. Not even the UN peacekeepers who, in accordance with the mandate of resolution 1701, monitor compliance with the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon marking the limit to which Israeli troops withdrew after 22 years of occupation. In fact, on the evening of March 6, Israeli fire reached one of the Unifil bases, the one hosting the Ghanaian contingent, causing injuries.
In the same hours, while the Israeli defense minister, Israel Katz, declared that «the government of Lebanon and Lebanon will pay a very high price»attacks against the Land of Cedars continued, causing further victims. So far it is estimated that around 300 people have died, mostly civilians, and over a thousand people have been injured. The situation of over 500 thousand displaced people is dramatic. In particular, for those of the Shiite religion, it becomes very difficult to find refuge. «The bombs are chasing us”, are the statements collected by the newspaper Avvenire. Because Israel threatens to destroy the places where they are hosted. Spain once again raised its voice against this situation and “categorically” condemned Israel’s “massive” attacks on Lebanon. The Government of Pedro Sanchez sent its “condolences and solidarity” to the families of the killed civilians and, through a note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reiterated its commitment to the security and stability of Lebanon, a country “vital for the entire region”.
«All parties», we read in the Note», «must fully respect Security Council Resolution 1701, as well as the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024». Furthermore, the document continues, «Spain urges Israel’s respect for the peacekeeping forces, including the Spanish contingent, deployed in Lebanon in accordance with the mandate of resolution 1701». AND stands against the intention to demolish part of Beirut, “an unprecedented measure”, headlines the Spanish newspaper El Pais, “which aims to expel half the population of the metropolitan area of the capital as collective punishment for Hezbollah’s hostilities”.
Spain calls for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and promises to continue to support the government of President Joseph Aoun who is working to guarantee the state’s monopoly on weapons throughout Lebanese territory and thus also control Hezbollah.
Meanwhile Unifil says that “it will investigate the circumstances of this terrible event” because “it is unacceptable that peacekeepers engaged in tasks entrusted by the Security Council are targeted”. It also firmly reminds all actors involved of their obligations under international law to ensure the safety of United Nations personnel and property at all times. Any attack on Unifil peacekeepers constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701 may constitute a war crime”. Spain deploys 600 soldiers in the mission, over a thousand are Italian.
