Secretary-General condemns firing of rockets from southern lebanon

 

Towards Israel, urges parties to exercise maximum restraint

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General condemns the firing of rockets from southern Lebanon towards Israel on 14 January.  The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has launched an investigation into the incident in close cooperation with the parties.

Thus far, the investigation team has found evidence that two rockets were fired towards Israel.  A rocket launching site was found near the village of Rachaya el-Foukhar.  Fragments of two rockets were discovered in the area of Ain Arab inside Lebanese territory.  The Israel Defense Forces fired two retaliatory artillery rounds, which landed near Rachaya el-Foukhar and south-east of Khiam.

The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about any escalation of tension or hostilities along the Blue Line, and urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint.  The parties must fully adhere to Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and respect the cessation of hostilities.

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For information media • not an official record