Patriarch Mar Beshara Boutros Al-Rahi condemned the assassination of the Irish soldier within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), stressing that the time has come for the state to put its hands on all illegal weapons, according to the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar. He added, “We denounce such actions and condemn them in the strongest terms.. and we seek a speedy recovery for his injured comrades. This Irish soldier, who came to Lebanon to protect the peace of the south, was killed by a bullet of hatred that killed him. This tragic incident, which distorts the face of Lebanon, requires a transparent investigation.” A Lebanese and an international person who reveals the truth and administers justice.

“The state must put its hands on every weapon”

He also added, “The time has come, or rather the time has come, for the state to put its hand on every unlawful and illegitimate weapon and implement Resolution 1701 in letter and spirit, because its implementation so far is selective, arbitrary, and restricted by the decision of the de facto forces, while the state bites its wound, and restricts its capabilities in favor of others.” “. On Thursday, an Irish soldier from (UNIFIL) was killed and another was seriously wounded, after the Irish battalion came under fire, in the Al-Aqibiya area, south Lebanon.

in intensive care

The Lebanese military judiciary is investigating the incident, and one of the Irish soldiers is still in intensive care in a hospital in Sidon. From time to time, problems occur between UNIFIL patrols and Hezbollah supporters in the border area, which is a major stronghold of the party, but it rarely escalates and the Lebanese authorities quickly contain it.