Lebanese President: Attackers on UNIFIL Forces Will Be Punished

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun promised on Saturday, February 16, that attackers on the United Nations peacekeeping forces (UNIFIL) would be punished. According to a statement from the Lebanese presidency reported by AFP, Aoun condemned the attack and emphasized the punishment of the attackers. He wrote: Security forces will not hesitate to confront any group attempting to disrupt stability. According to the report, supporters of Hezbollah, a group backed by the Islamic Republic, blocked the road leading to Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut for two consecutive nights due to the Lebanese government's decision to prohibit the landing of two Iranian planes. On Friday night, they attacked a UN peacekeeping vehicle, setting it on fire and injuring one of its commanders. Following this chaos, the Lebanese army announced that it would take decisive action against those responsible for the attack on the UN vehicle. The UN peacekeeping forces also condemned the attack and called for an immediate and transparent investigation by Lebanese authorities. UNIFIL stated: "Attacks against peacekeeping forces are a clear violation of international law and could be considered a war crime. We demand a thorough and immediate investigation by Lebanese authorities and the punishment of all those responsible for these attacks." Regarding the attack, UNIFIL mentioned that Hezbollah supporters attacked a four-member UN peacekeeping convoy on the way to Beirut Airport, during which UNIFIL Deputy Representative in Lebanon, Arnaldo Lazaro, was injured and taken to the hospital. According to Lebanese media, the convoy included four members, including the deputy of UNIFIL, three of whom survived the attack by Hezbollah loyalists, but Arnaldo Lazaro was hospitalized. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Special Coordinator in Lebanon, also called the incident "unacceptable" and warned that such actions endanger the lives of UN personnel working to maintain stability in Lebanon. The Israeli army has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of using Beirut Airport to transfer weapons from Iran. The Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority announced on Thursday that flights of Mahan Air from Iran to Beirut would be temporarily rescheduled until February 18 due to "increased security measures." In response, Iranian officials on Friday prevented a Lebanese plane from landing in Tehran. This plane was headed to Tehran to repatriate Lebanese citizens from Iran. The United States has sanctioned Mahan Air to target entities involved in the financial and military support of the Islamic Republic to Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Lebanese government's efforts to cut off the Islamic Republic's support for Hezbollah are behind the cancellation of Mahan flights to Lebanon.