UN Security Council holds emergency meeting following deaths of peacekeepers in Lebanon

The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting for March 31 at 10:00 local time in New York, following a request by France. This session addresses the deaths of three United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers and the injury of several others during incidents on March 29 and March 30. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot strongly condemned the attacks, which occurred as peacekeepers found themselves in the crossfire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. UNIFIL consists of 8,200 personnel from 47 member nations. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon stated that Hezbollah is primarily responsible for the violence, accusing the group of turning southern Lebanon into a battlefield. Israel maintains that it will continue to act to protect its northern border. No official perpetrator for the specific fatal fire has been universally attributed, though France has condemned the fire in the strongest terms.