Finland will assess the continued presence of Finnish peacekeepers in Lebanon in cooperation with the UN, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) told reporters following the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday.
EU foreign ministers called on Israel to cease attacking UN peacekeeping positions in Lebanon during the meeting, the agenda of which included a discussion about the escalating situation in the Middle East.
According to the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), two Israeli tanks broke through the gate of a peacekeeping post in Ramyah, near the Israeli border, on Sunday morning. The force added that about two hours later shots were fired near the post that led to smoke causing 15 peacekeepers to suffer skin irritations and gastrointestinal reactions.
"Finland is not the only country with peacekeepers in the area, and it is important that this work is coordinated," Valtonen said, but added that Finland is prepared to act should a decision be made to demobilise the peacekeeping troops.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the UN over the weekend to withdraw its peacekeepers from south Lebanon.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (both NCP) condemned the reports of firing on UN bases at the weekend, with Orpo calling the acts "reprehensible".
No consensus on extending sanctions
Discussions about extending sanctions on Israel are also ongoing within the EU, Valtonen told reporters, but she added that such a decision would require the approval of all EU member states.
"Opinions are divided here, but the message is already quite strong that we must take clear action against Israel. Especially if the escalation continues from here and does not end," the Finnish foreign minister said.
The EU imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers earlier this year, but Valtonen noted that an extension could also target the country's political decision-makers.
Vice President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell, said in August that he supported new EU sanctions against Israel.
Finland has called for the bilateral EU-Israel Association Council to be re-convened, Valtonen also said.
Edit note added on 16.9.2024 at 12:20pm to update the headline and body text for clarity and accuracy.
