S/PV.5497 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. After consultations among the members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council is deeply shocked and distressed by the firing by the Israel Defense Forces on a United Nations Observer post in southern Lebanon on 25 July 2006, which caused the death of four United Nations military observers. “The Security Council extends its deepest condolences to the families of those victims and expresses its sympathies to the Governments of Austria, Canada, China and Finland. “The Security Council calls upon the Government of Israel to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into this incident, taking into account any relevant material from United Nations authorities, and to make the results public as soon as possible. “The Security Council is deeply concerned about the safety and security of United Nations personnel and in this regard stresses that Israel and all concerned parties must comply fully with their obligations under international humanitarian law related to the protection of United Nations and associated personnel and underlines the importance of ensuring that United Nations personnel are not the object of attack. “The Security Council expresses its deep concern for Lebanese and Israeli civilian casualties and suffering, the destruction of civil infrastructures and the rising number of internally displaced people. “The Security Council will remain seized of this matter.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2006/34. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda.