Israeli army damaged UN peacekeepers' base in Lebanon
UN peacekeepers complain about the behavior of Israeli soldiers (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
An Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) bulldozer demolished a watchtower and perimeter fence at a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) location in the village of Marwahin, southern Lebanon, according to a statement from UNIFIL.
"Yet again, we remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times," the mission stated.
UNIFIL also emphasized that any attack on a UN facility and the damage to its property constitutes a serious violation of international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The resolution was adopted unanimously and aimed to bring an end to the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, outlining a path toward security along the Israel-Lebanon border.
The statement also noted that the Israeli army has repeatedly called on UNIFIL to vacate its positions along the Blue Line and has deliberately inflicted damage on UN positions.
Despite pressure on the mission and troop-contributing countries, UNIFIL stressed that peacekeepers are maintaining all their positions.
"We will continue to carry out our mandated tasks of monitoring and reporting," the statement added.
Shelling of UN peacekeepers' bases by the IDF in Lebanon
Recently, Israeli military forces have increasingly targeted UN peacekeeping mission sites and bases in southern Lebanon.
On October 12, Israeli forces shelled southern Lebanon, with one of the rockets landing near a UNIFIL base, resulting in injuries to two peacekeepers.
On October 13, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) tanks forcibly entered UN positions in southern Lebanon.
During this incident, 15 UN peacekeepers were affected by smoke effects after several shells were fired by the IDF about 100 meters from their base. Two hours earlier, Israeli forces had damaged several UN positions at the base and destroyed several lighting cameras.
Additionally, last week, an Israeli Merkava tank fired on a peacekeepers' observation tower near the village of Kafr Kila, damaging the tower and destroying two cameras.
In March of this year, four UN military observers were injured in southern Lebanon when a shell exploded near them.
World's reaction
The European Union condemned the actions of Israeli military forces, labeling them a serious violation of international law.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated that attacks on peacekeepers in Lebanon could be considered war crimes.
Amid the growing outcry, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the withdrawal of peacekeepers from southern Lebanon. He argued that Hezbollah militants are using UN mission personnel as human shields.
