The United Nations has said its peacekeeping forces will stay in southern Lebanon, despite Israel's demands that they should move as the Israeli military attacks targets in the region, Euronews reports.
Head of the UN peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, told reporters on Tuesday that the decision not to have peacekeepers leave the area of operations was supported by the UN Security Council and member states.
Earlier, the Security Council expressed "strong concern" on Monday over Israel's attacks on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL.
Israeli strikes have reportedly injured at least five members of UNIFIL in separate attacks, a move that has drawn international condemnation, with Italy, the UK, France and Germany releasing a joint statement reminding Israel that deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are against international law.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has demanded UNIFIL "temporarily leave the combat zone," insisting that "the charge that Israel deliberately attacked UNIFIL personnel is completely false."
