The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has called on the Israeli military to halt attacks on its peacekeepers, civilians and Lebanese soldiers after grenades were dropped near their positions.
Unifil peacekeepers have been working with the Lebanese army to support a November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah that culminated in two months of open war.
Unifil said the Israeli army had “dropped grenades near peacekeepers working alongside Lebanese soldiers to provide security for civilian workers” on Thursday in Maroun Al Ras, near the Israeli border. Nobody was hurt.
The workers “were trying to clear the ruins of homes destroyed due to the war” and peacekeepers had informed the Israeli army in advance of the activity, Unifil said in a statement on Friday.
A month ago, Unifil said Israeli drones had dropped four grenades near peacekeepers. Israel insisted that “no intentional fire” was directed at the force on that occasion.
In Thursday's incident, Unifil said, two groups of peacekeepers “heard a grenade explode near an excavator” around 500 metres away.
“Moments later, the first group saw a drone fly overhead and witnessed an explosion about 30 to 40 metres away,” it added.
Soon after, “the second group saw another drone drop a grenade that exploded just 20 metres over their heads”.
Under the US-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah and Israel were both required to withdraw from south Lebanon, while Unifil was deployed there alongside the Lebanese military, in part to help dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure.
Israel has kept up regular strikes on what it says are Hezbollah targets despite the truce, and has maintained its troops in five locations it deems strategic.
Unifil said Thursday's attack demonstrated disregard for peacekeepers “and the stability they are working to restore”.
“Such actions also constitute a serious violation of [UN] Security Council resolution 1701,” it added, referring to a resolution that ended a 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and formed the basis of the November ceasefire.
The statement urged the Israeli army “to cease attacks on or near peacekeepers, civilians and Lebanese soldiers and allow us to carry out our mandated tasks without obstruction”.
Unifil has been deployed since 1978 to separate Israel and Lebanon, and numbers some 10,000 personnel from almost 50 countries.
In August, the UN Security Council voted to end Unifil's mission in 2027.
This week, a western diplomatic source told The National that the ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel exists “in name only”, as Israel continues to hit Lebanon almost daily.
“It's more of a de-escalation, as Israel strikes wherever and whenever it wants,” the source added.
Israel has breached the ceasefire thousands of times, according to data from Unifil. Breaches include air incursions, air strikes and ground operations.
The UN said on Wednesday that the Israeli strikes on Lebanon have killed more than 100 civilians in 10 months.
The continuing attacks have threatened the legitimacy of Lebanon’s new government, the western diplomat added. The government has been widely welcomed by the international community as reformist and is the first to have initiated formal steps to disarm Iran-backed Hezbollah.
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
