Israel Responsible for Death of Peacekeeper

Spain on Wednesday said Israeli fire had killed a Spanish UN peacekeeper serving in south Lebanon and called on the United Nations to fully investigate the violence.

 

The Security Council condemned the death of the Spanish corporal who died from wounds sustained during an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters on the border.

 

“It is clear that this was because of the escalation of the violence and it came from the Israeli side,” Spanish Ambassador Roman Oyarzun told reporters, according to the AFP news agency.

 

The Spanish envoy said he had asked for a full investigation during an emergency meeting of the council called by France to discuss ways to defuse tensions between Israel and Lebanon.

 

The violence raised fears of another all-out conflict between the two countries, who fought a month-long war in 2006, in a region already wracked by fighting in Syria and Iraq.

 

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for “maximum calm and restraint,” urging all sides to “act responsibly to prevent any escalation in an already tense regional environment,” a UN statement said.

 

Read More: Spain: Israel Responsible for Death of Peacekeeper – Middle East – News – Arutz Sheva