LEBANON: The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon said Saturday it would not leave positions in the south despite what it said was an Israeli request to “relocate.”
“On September 30, the IDF (Israeli military) notified UNIFIL of their intention to undertake limited ground incursions into Lebanon. They also requested we relocate from some of our positions,” the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said.
“Peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly.
“We are regularly adjusting our posture and activities, and we have contingency plans ready to activate if absolutely necessary,” it added.
Israel has intensified its campaign against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah since September 23, killing more than 1,110 people and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in a country already mired in economic crisis.
Israel said earlier this week that it would start carrying out limited ground incursions into south Lebanon.
“We continue to urge Lebanon and Israel to recommit to Security Council Resolution 1701 — in actions, not just word — as the only viable solution to bring back stability in the region,” UNIFIL said.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, stipulated that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers should be deployed in south Lebanon.
UN says Lebanon peacekeepers ‘remain in all positions’ despite Israel request
https://arab.news/47377
UN says Lebanon peacekeepers ‘remain in all positions’ despite Israel request
- ‘Peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly’
One killed, 13 injured in Marib shopping mall fire
- Civil defense teams, supported by police forces, were able to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other shops in the area
MARIB: One person was killed and 13 others were injured after a fire broke out at a shopping mall and neighboring shops on Aden Street in Marib Governorate, Yemen, on Sunday morning, local authorities said.
According to a security source cited by SABA News Agency, the blaze erupted after midnight, engulfing Ibn Al-Hajj Mall and adjacent commercial premises.
Civil defense teams, supported by police forces, were able to extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to other shops in the area.
The source said the fire completely destroyed the Ibn al-Hajj Mall, including its second-floor warehouses, as well as a neighboring shoe store. A nearby furniture store sustained partial damage, but its contents were swiftly removed, helping to limit losses and stop the fire from spreading further.
All casualties were reported to have suffered from smoke inhalation, the source added.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. Authorities urged merchants and residents to adhere to occupational safety procedures and preventive measures to protect lives and property.
