The United Nations said in a statement Wednesday that Ban Ki-moon "deeply regrets that a UN Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeeper sustained serious injuries that resulted in his death. The Secretary-General expresses his sincere condolences to the family of the peacekeeper who was killed and his sympathies to the Government and the people of Spain".
#UNSG is deeply concerned over violence in southern #Lebanon & deeply regrets death of peacekeeper http://t.co/ZFkcnvrXiD @UNPeacekeeping
— UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) 28 января 2015
The United Nations also expressed concern over "violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Israel and Syria", explaining that rockets were fired on Wednesday from "the area of limitation on the Bravo side across the ceasefire line".
Our thoughts are with family & friends of the fallen peacekeeper from #Spain in mission in #Lebanon #UNIFIL @SpainUN pic.twitter.com/vkBc1yN4FE
— UN Peacekeeping (@UNPeacekeeping) 28 января 2015
Apart from the UN peacekeeper, two Israeli soldiers died in the Wednesday exchange of fire, which occurred when Hezbollah attacked an Israeli military convoy on the frontier with Lebanon. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) responded with artillery fire and an airstrike.
Hezbollah is considered a terrorist group by many Western governments including Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom and many European states, but not by Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed grave concerns over the escalating tensions in the so-called Israel-Syria-Lebanon triangle on Wednesday.
