Netanyahu calls on UN to withdraw peacekeepers from southern Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (photo: Getty Images)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the UN to withdraw peacekeepers from southern Lebanon. According to him, Hezbollah uses them as a human shield, reports The Times of Israel.
Tensions between Israel and the UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon continue to escalate. At the same time, the Israeli prime minister appealed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to withdraw the soldiers of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from the combat zones.
“It is time for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the areas of combat. The IDF has repeatedly asked for this, and has been met with repeated refusals, all aimed at providing a human shield to Hezbollah terrorists. Mr. Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately,” he said.
The newspaper notes that UNIFIL reported today that the IDF struck a number of posts, including its headquarters in Naqoura. During the incidents, UN peacekeepers were slightly injured.
“Your refusal to evacuate the UNIFIL soldiers makes them hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers,” Netanyahu said.
He said that Israel “regrets the injury” to the peacekeeping forces, and his country is doing everything possible to prevent this.
“But the simple and obvious way to ensure this is just get them out of the danger zone,” the Israeli prime minister added.
Netanyahu also said that European leaders should criticize Hezbollah, not Israel, for using UNIFIL as a human shield.
