Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with international partners to help protect United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) personnel from attacks by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
The UK Government condemns all threats to United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon's (UNIFIL) security and calls on all parties to ensure the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel at all times and to allow UNIFIL to continue carrying out its mandate. In a call on 16 October with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Foreign Secretary discussed the need for all parties to ensure freedom of movement for UNIFIL personnel. We are also calling on Hizballah to de-escalate immediately and urging Iran to stand down their proxy. Only a political solution, consistent with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, can bring stability and security to South Lebanon. The UK continues to work in lockstep with our allies, including Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt to de-escalate the situation and we urge all parties to end this cycle of violence.