Lebanon is on the verge of collapse, German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock warned today. She arrived on a surprise visit to Beirut at the height of the war between Israel and the Lebanese organization “Hezbollah”, France Press reported.
Israel has been carrying out bombings against “Hezbollah” in Lebanon and launched a ground offensive at the end of September to push the group's fighters away from its border.
Berbock said today that “any deliberate attack on the “blue helmets” of the UN is a “violation of international humanitarian law". The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has accused Israeli troops of repeatedly and deliberately firing at the positions of its peacekeepers.
„The UN obligation to protect peacekeepers applies to all parties to the conflict,” said Berbock. “UNIFIL soldiers have our full support. They are necessary for finding a political solution to the conflict, she added.
„The task now is to work with our partners from the US, Europe and the Arab world to find a viable diplomatic solution that protects the legitimate security interests of both Israel and Lebanon,” Berbock said.