This photo shows the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes in Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct. 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

 

This photo shows UN vehicles in Tyre, Lebanon, on Aug. 29, 2024. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon are currently staying in their positions and continue to do their best to implement their Security Council mandate in very difficult conditions, the UN peacekeeping chief said on Thursday.

Peacekeepers of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) "feel duty-bound to the mandate given to them by the Security Council" and they feel "duty-bound to the population in southern Lebanon," Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN under-secretary-general for peace operations, said at a news conference.

He said there are contingency plans which are constantly updated, so that if needed "we can adapt UNIFIL posture."

Lacroix noted that the current situation limits the ability of the peacekeepers to implement their mandated tasks, but "Team UNIFIL remains united and committed."

UNIFIL continues working with partners to do whatever they can to protect the population, providing temporary shelter to affected populations in recent weeks and supporting the delivery of humanitarian assistance, he said.

He expressed deep alarm over the escalation in southern Lebanon and the impact on civilians, reiterating the need for a cessation of hostilities and negotiations to restore calm.