According to Lebanese information, there has been another Israeli attack on a UNIFIL position in Lebanon. Blue helmet soldiers had already been shot at before – which sparked sharp international criticism.
According to the government in Beirut, UN peacekeepers were injured again in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army shelled the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL in the village of Nakura, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry said.
According to a report by the Lebanese news agency ANI, an Israeli tank fired on one of the UN mission’s watchtowers. Several blue helmet soldiers from Sri Lanka were injured. The Lebanese Foreign Ministry accused Israel of “deliberate and systematic shelling of the peacekeeping force.”
UNIFIL confirmed on Platform X that there were two explosions near a watchtower in Nakura. Two soldiers were injured. The UN mission did not name the cause of the explosions.
Previously attacked Blue helmet soldiers
According to the peacekeeping force, two peacekeepers were injured in the shelling of the UNIFIL headquarters on Thursday. The Israeli army later said it had fired shots near the UNIFIL base where Hezbollah militia fighters were active. In advance, the UN soldiers in the area were asked to stay in protected places. Only then did fire open.
“Our recommendation is that UNIFIL moves five kilometers north,” Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said before the attack. This would allow “dangers to be avoided” in view of the intensifying fighting.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said such incidents were “unacceptable” and should not happen again. The peacekeepers must be protected, said Guterres. “We cannot allow the Middle East conflict to escalate; it poses a threat to global security.” Everything must be done to avoid an all-out war in Lebanon.
Sanchez calls for a stop to arms exports to Israel
A number of countries also protested, including Germany, Italy and Turkey. “The shelling of UN peacekeepers is in no way acceptable or acceptable,” said a spokesman for the Foreign Office in Berlin. The incident must be examined in detail.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called on the international community to stop supplying weapons to Israel. This is “urgently necessary” given the events in the Middle East.
Russia criticized the shelling, as did Turkey. “Israel’s attacks on UN troops following the massacres of civilians in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon reflect Israel’s belief that its crimes remain unpunished,” the Foreign Ministry said in Ankara. “The international community has an obligation to ensure that Israel complies with international law.”
Lebanese government calls for ceasefire
Acting Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati described the recent attack on UNIFIL troops as a “premeditated crime.” He spoke to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about efforts to reach a ceasefire. Blinken expressed concern about the escalation in the Middle East conflict, but did not publicly comment on the attacks on UNIFIL.
In a televised speech, Mikati said Israel must stop its attacks on civilians and residential areas. Lebanon insists on the implementation of UN Resolution 1701. The international community must oblige Israel to implement it. The caretaker government in Lebanon would, in turn, ensure the stationing of the Lebanese army in the border area.
The resolution prohibits the presence of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia in the border area with Israel. The Israeli military must therefore withdraw behind the so-called Blue Line – the Lebanese-Israeli border. The resolution gives sole authority to the Lebanese army and UNIFIL troops in Lebanon south of the Litani River.
UNIFIL: Stay until the situation makes deployment impossible
According to UN circles, UNIFIL positions were shelled by Israeli troops four times this week and four peacekeepers were injured. Despite the shelling, UNIFIL troops remained determined to remain at their posts. “We are there because the Security Council asked us to,” said their spokesman Andrea Tenenti. “So we’ll stay until the situation makes it impossible for us to deploy.” The fighting between the Israeli military and Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon is one of the most serious events of the past twelve months.
UNIFIL troops have a mandate from the UN Security Council to help the Lebanese army keep the south of the country free of weapons and armed non-state groups. That has led to tensions with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which de facto controls the area.
Tenenti said Israeli attacks on the UNIFIL headquarters’ watchtower, cameras, communications equipment and lighting had limited the UN’s surveillance capabilities.
UN insiders now fear that the attacks will make it impossible to monitor violations of international law in the zone. According to Tenenti, the force still has important tasks to accomplish. “It must support local NGOs and UN agencies to provide all these villages with much-needed food and water. Thousands of people have left the country, but thousands are still stuck in the area. Therefore, it is very important to avoid conflict .”
UN: More than 2,000 people killed in Lebanon
Meanwhile, the United Nations said more than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since October 2023 as a result of the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. This is reported by the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva, citing the Lebanese Ministry of Health. Among the dead were 100 emergency paramedics and other health workers.
In October a year ago, the terrorist militia Hezbollah in Lebanon massively expanded its attacks on Israel. This was preceded by the terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023 and Israel’s reaction to declare war on the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since mid-September, Israel has also been carrying out massive attacks in Lebanon to eliminate Hezbollah. “The Lebanese people are bearing the brunt of this latest phase of the conflict,” said UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.