UN secretary-general António Guterres paid tribute to the United Nations peacekeepers who are positioned along the borderlands between Lebanon and Israel.

Last week, three Blue Helmet soldiers serving with the Ghanaian contingent were seriously injured when they came under intense exchanges of fire.

“Attacks against peacekeepers and positions are completely unacceptable, and they must stop,” Guterres said. “They are in breach of international law and may constitute war crimes.”

The peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, said on Saturday that apparent fire
from a heavy machine gun sparked a blaze at the UN peacekeeping force position near the village of Mais al-Jabal when a UN peacekeeper was hurt on his way to a shelter in Lebanon. An investigation has been launched.

Guterres was asked on Saturday about comments from some Israeli officials suggesting that the devastation in Gaza could be used as a model for Lebanon. He responded that such a scenario must be avoided.

On Friday, Israel dropped leaflets over Beirut, the Lebanese capital, that referred to its invasion of Gaza as “a remarkable success”. Guterres said: “What happened in Gaza is a disaster that must be avoided anywhere else in the world.”

Guterres said the Lebanese people had not chosen this war, which has been raging for two weeks. “They were dragged into it,” he said.

He added that his message to the warring parties was: “Stop the fighting. Stop the bombing. There is no military solution — only diplomacy, dialogue and full implementation of the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions.”