Borrell criticises EU nations for taking too long to condemn Israel's attacks on UNIFIL

LUXEMBOURG - The European Union's member states have taken too long to condemn Israel's attacks on UNIFIL soldiers in Lebanon, the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday, describing the attacks as "completely unacceptable".

"We should be against Israeli attacks against UNIFIL. Our soldiers are there, many soldiers are there," added Borrell, speaking at an EU ministerial meeting in Luxembourg.

EU countries, led by Italy, France and Spain, have thousands of troops in the 10,000-strong peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, which has said it has repeatedly come under attack from Israeli forces in recent days. Israel has called on the United Nations to move the troops out of the combat zone.