The European Union is seriously concerned about the attacks by the Israeli army against the UN mission in Lebanon, in which several peacekeepers were injured. There is a strong Hungarian presence in this mission, leading some to ask if Prime Minister Orbán has reached out to his Israeli counterpart.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell announced on Sunday night that “such attacks against UN peacekeepers constitute a grave violation of international law and are totally unacceptable. These attacks must stop immediately.”
“We urge all parties to fully uphold their obligations to guarantee the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel at all times, and to allow UNIFIL to continue to implement its mandate,” the statement added.
Borrell called on southern Lebanon’s Hezbollah, whose military wing is considered a terrorist organization by the EU, not to fire rockets at Israel, while he was also gravely concerned about Israeli attacks on densely populated Lebanese areas. On behalf of the EU, the statement once again called for an immediate ceasefire.
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According to the announcement, the UN mission is staffed by 16 EU member states, among others. According to the mission’s website, a total of 50 countries sent peacekeepers at the beginning of September, with 15 from Hungary. Hungary’s Ministry of Defense has recently confirmed that Hungarian soldiers are also serving in the unit.
A joint statement, initiated by Poland and issued on behalf of 34 countries, including Hungary, participating in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) recently condemned the ongoing violence, stating: “We condemn recent incidents, call to respect UNIFIL’s mission & ensure the safety of its personnel.”
Questions have arisen as to whether Orbán has or will make a call to Israeli PM Netanyahu, a close ally of his, regarding ongoing Israeli strikes and the safety of the UN peacekeeping mission, which reportedly includes both Hungarian civilians and soldiers. Netanyahu has openly thanked Orbán for Hungary’s support of Israel in the past at both the EU and international level.
There is no word as of yet if any Hungarians are among those recently injured. Orbán has recently been focused on his peace mission for Ukraine, hoping to help bring a ceasefire in that conflict as soon as possible.
