EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton called on Israel and Lebanon for restraint after the killing of an Israeli soldier by a Lebanese soldier near Rosh Hanikra, at the border between the two countries.
"The High Representative is worried by the shooting incidents across the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon, which reportedly led to the killing of an Israeli soldier and later the shooting of two Lebanese soldiers,’’ Ashton’s spokesperson said in a statement.
She urged Israel and Lebanon ‘’to act with utmost restraint and calls on all parties to actively help defuse tensions.’’
Ashton underlined that the EU support to the role of UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force, in supporting peace and stability in South Lebanon. ‘’She welcomes and supports the ongoing UNIFIL investigation to establish facts on the ground,’’ the statement said.
‘’The High Representative reiterates the importance for both Israel and Lebanon to abide by and fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701, with a view to a long-term solution leading to restoring peace in the region."
Military liaison officers from the two countries met with representatives of UNIFIL at a border crossing near where the shootings occurred late Sunday to clarify the circumstances and restore calm.
The commander of UNIFIL, Maj. Gen. Paolo Serra, said preliminary findings indicated that the shooting of the Israeli soldier was “an individual action” by a Lebanese Army soldier “in contravention of the existing operational rules and procedures.”
The Lebanese Army command issued a statement describing that shooting as an isolated episode and said a military committee was investigating the matter.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Moshe Yaalon, described the killing of the Israeli soldier, Master Sgt. Shlomi Cohen, 31, as “a very grave incident.”
He said that Israel held the Lebanese government and army responsible for what happened on their side of the border, and that Israel awaited an explanation. “We will not tolerate the violation of our sovereignty along any border,” he added.