The United Nations (UN), yesterday, accused Israel of using tanks to burst through the gates of a base of its peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, the latest accusation of violations and attacks that have been denounced by Israel’s own allies.
But Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called on the United Nations to evacuate the troops of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force from combat areas in Lebanon. Hours later, the force reported what it described as additional Israeli violations, including tanks forcibly entering through the gates of a base.
“The time has come for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the combat zones,” Netanyahu said in a statement addressed to UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.
“The IDF has requested this repeatedly and has met with repeated refusal, which has the effect of providing Hezbollah terrorists with human shields.”
Iran-backed militant group, Hezbollah, denies Israel’s accusation that it uses the proximity of peacekeepers for protection.
Five peacekeepers have so far been wounded in a series of strikes that have hit peacekeeping positions and personnel in recent days, most of the attacks blamed by UNIFIL on Israeli forces.
Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, typically one of Israel’s most vocal supporters among Western European leaders, spoke to Netanyahu by phone yesterday and denounced the Israeli attacks.
Italy has more than a thousand troops in the 10,000-strong UNIFIL force, making it one of the biggest contributors of personnel.
France and Spain, which each has nearly 700 soldiers in the force, have also condemned the Israeli attacks.
“Meloni reiterated the unacceptability of UNIFIL being attacked by Israeli armed forces,” the Italian government said, in a statement.
Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, reiterated, yesterday, that the country has banned UN Chief Guterres from entering, due to what it says is his failure to adequately condemn Iran for a missile attack at the start of this month, and for what Katz described as antisemitic and anti-Israel conduct.
UNIFIL was set up in 1978 to monitor southern Lebanon. Since then, the area has seen persistent conflict, with Israel invading in 1982, occupying Southern Lebanon until 2000 and again fighting a major five-week war against Hezbollah in 2006.
Israel’s assault against Hezbollah over the past three weeks has been the deadliest in Lebanon in decades, driving 1.2 million Lebanese from their homes and has inflicted an unprecedented blow against the group by killing most of its senior leadership.
Israeli officials say UNIFIL has failed in its mission of upholding UN Resolution 1701, passed after the 2006 war, which calls for the border area of Southern Lebanon to be free of weapons or troops other than those of the Lebanese state.
US Defence Secretary, Lloyd Austin, in a call with Israeli Defence Minister, Gallant on Saturday, expressed ‘deep concern’ about reports that Israeli forces had fired on peacekeeper positions and urged Israel to ensure their safety and that of the Lebanese military, the Pentagon said. The Lebanese military is not a party to Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah.
