Late on Sunday, the 27 EU countries agreed on a joint statement regarding the UN force Unifil and the attacks it has been subjected to by Israeli forces.
"Such attacks on UN peacekeepers are a serious violation of international law... These attacks must stop immediately", it says, among other things.
It is completely unacceptable to attack UN troops, added Foreign Minister Borrell on his way into Monday's EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg, which was dominated by the situation in the Middle East.
"Must explain"
Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) of Sweden demands an Israeli explanation.
This UN force must be protected. It is an extremely important mission. And Israel must also explain itself. We must stand up for the important mandate that the UN force has, for the personnel's safety, she says.
Borrell emphasizes that the UN force can only withdraw on orders from the UN Security Council.
Israel's army says that the attacks on Unifil were an accident and not intentional. At the same time, they believe that the best way to avoid such incidents is if Unifil withdraws. But that will not happen, stresses the Foreign Minister at his press conference after the meeting.
United Kingdom
According to the news agency Ansa, Germany, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom – whose Foreign Minister David Lammy participated as a special invited lunch guest on Monday – have also adopted a separate joint statement demanding that all attacks on Unifil must cease.
Josep Borrell also disapproves of Israel's sharp criticism of UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
I want to remind everyone that it is not the Secretary-General who decides who stays or not. It is the Security Council that makes such decisions. So stop blaming Secretary-General Guterres, says Borrell in Luxembourg.
