Britain should commit more troops to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, a senior MP said as the Government condemned Israeli attacks on the force.
The UK sends one peacekeeper to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) compared to more than 1,000 from Italy, more than 600 from France and more than 300 from Ireland.
Members of the force, consisting of more than 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries, have been injured in recent days in southern Lebanon.
Labour’s Emily Thornberry, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the House of Commons: “They put their bodies on the line, keeping warring parties apart and have been able to maintain rough peace on the Blue Line for nearly 18 years before this conflict began.
“But, may I ask, is it possible for us to go further than just to condemn it?”
She added: “I wonder if it might be possible for the Government to reconsider the number of peacekeepers that are sent to Unifil and whether Britain could make a bigger contribution?”
Foreign Office minister Anneliese Dodds said: “We keep our support for all UN agencies continuously under review, that applies to Unifil as well.”
Former British Army officer Richard Foord, the Liberal Democrat MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, responded to Ms Thornberry’s suggestion by asking Ms Dodds: “Would the minister ensure that there are no British troops deployed into that situation until there is a peace to keep or under chapter seven of the UN Charter, which would be peace enforcement?”
Ms Dodds, in her reply, said: “Any decisions in relation to any resolution would be taken very seriously indeed by our Defence Secretary (John Healey), by the whole of Government, but it has been through those humanitarian and diplomatic levers that we have been straining every sinew to deescalate, to improve the situation of those populations so badly impacted at the moment.”
Ms Dodds earlier told MPs: “We were gravely concerned to hear that five UN peacekeepers have been injured by the Israeli defence forces.
“We reiterate that attacks on UN peacekeepers and UN members of staff are unacceptable. All parties must take all necessary measures to protect all UN personnel and premises, and allow the UN to fulfil its mandate.
“The UK co-signed a joint statement by 34 Unifil (United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon) contributing countries condemning recent attacks, calling for such actions to stop immediately and be adequately investigated.”
For the Conservatives, shadow development minister Dame Harriett Baldwin said aid workers and UN peacekeepers should not be targeted.
She asked if the UK Government agreed with Israel’s assessment that Hezbollah has built “thousands of tunnel shafts next to” the UN peacekeepers.
Dame Harriett asked: “Has this put their mission in such grave danger that the UN must now review its mandate? This is a grave situation.
“There is no equivalence between Iran’s terrorist proxies Hezbollah and Hamas, and the state of Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself against an existential threat, but too many innocent civilians are seeing their lives lost and their lives irreparably changed. The UK must continue to support them with humanitarian aid.”
Conservative former minister Andrew Murrison said deliberate targeting of UN peacekeepers is “always unacceptable”, adding: “Given the evident failure of UN resolution 1701 and Unifil in intent and mission, what does the minister suggest Israel is to do when it’s facing incessant attacks on its population by a terrorist organisation backed by a state?
“Is it to tolerate the building of tunnels and attack positions in territory south of the Litani River indefinitely?”
Several MPs urged the UK Government to change its approach while others strongly condemned the actions of Israel.
Labour MP Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough and Thornaby East) said: “Repeatedly calling on Israel to uphold their obligations has no impact. Unless forced to change, Israel continues to commit further outrages and breaches of international law in the Lebanon, in West Bank, and its starvation and targeting of civilians in Gaza.”
He also said: “A partial arms embargo has not stopped the attacks on civilians either. Surely that has to be extended.”
Conservative former minister Simon Hoare said at some point the US, UK and others have to realise their current diplomatic strategy is “not working and something else needs to be tried”.
He added: “Otherwise we’ll be standing here for months to come wringing our hands continually, expressing support or condemnation or solidarity or whatever, and all we’ll see are the bodies of the dead piling up on both sides.”
Labour MP Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) said: “I think the minister has heard the voices from across the House that current action just is not enough.
“The consistent egregious breaches in international law by a supposed ally cannot be allowed to continue unfettered. We have to have a more detailed response from the UK, with its other allies.”
