عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

EU Countries Contributing to UNIFIL See Mission as 'Essential and Fundamental', Spanish Minister

A joint force from UNIFIL and the Lebanese army in Naqoura near the Israeli border (File - AFP)
A joint force from UNIFIL and the Lebanese army in Naqoura near the Israeli border (File - AFP)
TT
TT

EU Countries Contributing to UNIFIL See Mission as 'Essential and Fundamental', Spanish Minister

A joint force from UNIFIL and the Lebanese army in Naqoura near the Israeli border (File - AFP)
A joint force from UNIFIL and the Lebanese army in Naqoura near the Israeli border (File - AFP)

The EU countries contributing to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, dubbed as UNIFIL, say it is "essential and fundamental" and only the UN can decide whether to end it, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Wednesday after a video call with 15 of her counterparts, Reuters reported.

"All the countries that are part of it are firmly supporting the UNIFIL mission, our soldiers, our people who are there," she said in a video statement sent to reporters.

EU countries, led by Italy, France and Spain, have thousands of troops in the 10,000-strong peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, which has said it has repeatedly come under attack from Israeli forces in recent days. Israel has called on the United Nations to move the troops out of the combat zone.

 

 

 

Most Viewed

 
 
World

UK Considers Sanctioning 2 Ultranationalist Israeli Cabinet Ministers

A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking during the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) at the House of Commons, in London, on October 16, 2024. (UK Parliament/ AFP)
A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking during the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) at the House of Commons, in London, on October 16, 2024. (UK Parliament/ AFP)
TT
TT

UK Considers Sanctioning 2 Ultranationalist Israeli Cabinet Ministers

A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking during the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) at the House of Commons, in London, on October 16, 2024. (UK Parliament/ AFP)
A handout photograph released by the UK Parliament shows Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking during the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) at the House of Commons, in London, on October 16, 2024. (UK Parliament/ AFP)

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday the UK government is considering sanctioning two ultranationalist Israeli Cabinet ministers.

Starmer said “we are looking at” imposing sanctions on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. He said the pair has made “abhorrent” comments about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

Britain, France and Algeria have called a meeting of the UN Security Council on Wednesday on the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza, which Starmer called “dire.”

“Israel must take all possible steps to avoid civilian casualties, to allow aid into Gaza in much greater volumes, and provide the UN humanitarian partners the ability to operate effectively,” Starmer said in the House of Commons.

David Cameron, who was foreign secretary in the previous Conservative government until its defeat in the July election, said Tuesday that while in office he was working on a plan to sanction Smotrich and Ben-Gvir over their support for blocking aid from entering the Gaza Strip and expanding illegal Israeli settlements there and in the occupied West Bank.

The sanctions were not put in place before Britain’s snap election was called.