Tension does not subside between the United Nations Interim Force in Southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Israel. Peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah are at open war, announced that two Israeli tanks had “forcedly entered” their perimeter on Sunday, October 13.
“Around 4:30 a.m., while peacekeepers were in shelters, two Merkava tanks of the Israeli army destroyed the main gate and entered the position by force”, remaining there “around 45 minutes”, reports UNIFIL. Two hours later, she adds, “shots caused smoke” which triggered “skin irritations and gastrointestinal reactions in fifteen peacekeepers who are receiving care.”
The version of the facts differs from the side of the Israeli army, which explained that one of its tanks had hit a post of the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Sunday, while it was coming under heavy fire in the south of the country, where it faces Hezbollah. According to an army statement, “a tank which was trying to evacuate wounded soldiers while coming under enemy fire retreated several meters and hit a UNIFIL post.”
A diplomatic outcry
Here is the last episode of several days of escalation between the Blue Helmets and the Hebrew country. The UN force, which has more than 9,500 soldiers, has been caught in the crossfire between Israel and Hezbollah since the pro-Iranian movement opened a front against Israel in October 2023. It had accused, Thursday, October 10, Israeli troops to fire “repeatedly” and “deliberately” on its positions, triggering a diplomatic outcry. Here too, the Hebrew country defended itself, explaining that it had fired in the direction of a “threat” near a UNIFIL position in southern Lebanon.
After five injuries in 72 hours in their ranks, UN soldiers are once again demanding explanations from the IDF. “For the fourth time in four days, we remind the Israeli military and all actors of their obligation to ensure the safety of UN personnel and […] the inviolability of its positions”, shouts UNIFIL.
For his part, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday called on the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, to put the Blue Helmets “shelter immediately”. The Israeli head of state specified that the Israeli army had “repeatedly” requested the withdrawal of UNIFIL from the combat zones and had encountered “repeated refusals”. In fact, the UN force decided to maintain its men on Saturday, October 12, in order to plead for a de-escalation. The same day, “the Israeli army blocked a crucial UNIFIL logistical movement, preventing it from passing through,” notes the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.
“Harassment”
Thursday and Friday October 11, UNIFIL announced that four of its members, Indonesians and Sri Lankans, had been injured, including at least two due to an attack by Israeli troops. The incident “is a continuation of the harassment” inflicted in recent days on the UN peacekeeping mission, wrote the spanish daily newspaper El Paístaken up by International MailSaturday October 12.
In Lebanon, the media The Orient-The Day believes that these “successive attacks” against UNIFIL positions “cannot be considered as simple errors, accidents or limited operations”. According to the diplomats interviewed in the article, the Hebrew State could wish to “push the Blue Helmets to withdraw from their positions on the border in order to be able to carry out more violent attacks against South Lebanon, without limits and above all without witnesses “.
The international community is keeping an eye on these repeated blunders. At least 40 countries gave their “full” support to the peacekeepers on Saturday. “Attacks” against UN peacekeepers may constitute “war crimes”, the spokesperson for the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, warned on Sunday. Similar sentiment from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the G7. The head of state declared on Sunday October 13 to her Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that “attacking” the UN peace force in Lebanon was “unacceptable”. Even the Vatican got involved: Pope Francis soberly called on Sunday to “respect” the Blue Helmets.