The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been subjected to an attack for the second time in two days on Friday. France, Italy and Spain came out on Friday evening with a joint statement in which they criticize Israel. – The attacks constitute serious violations of Israel’s obligations, says a joint statement. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) says its soldiers operating in southern Lebanon identified an immediate threat to them. – 50 meters from the threat – The soldiers responded with fire against the threat. Initial investigations indicate that a UNIFIL post was hit. It was located approximately 50 meters from the source of the threat. It resulted in injury to two UNIFIL personnel, the IDF writes in a statement. The Israeli military writes that they “hours before the incident instructed UNIFIL personnel to enter protected rooms and remain there.” – The incident is under investigation, says a spokesperson to news. – Was accidentally injured IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani writes on X that they are “working to reduce the risk of such unfortunate incidents happening again”. – Two soldiers in the UN peacekeeping forces were unintentionally injured during the IDF’s fight against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The IDF expresses deep concern over incidents of this type and is currently conducting a thorough review at the highest command levels to determine the details, IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani writes on X. He writes that “Hezbollah terrorists and infrastructure are located in close proximity to Unifil, and it poses a significant risk to the security of peacekeepers.” Unifil states that two soldiers were injured as a result of an explosion, which occurred near an observation tower. The Israeli forces (IDF) also broke through fences at another Unifil position in Labbouneh. – This is a serious development, and Unifil reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and facilities must be guaranteed, says a statement. On Wednesday and Thursday, Unifil forces were subjected to three attacks within a day, including against the headquarters in Naqoura. Then Israeli soldiers fired at a surveillance camera on the base, and tanks also fired at a guard tower. Two people were slightly injured. In addition, shots were fired at a bunker where UN soldiers were staying. Both the communication system and vehicle were destroyed. – It illustrates how serious the situation is in southern Lebanon. It adds to a pattern we have seen in the last year, where there is little indication that Israel is doing enough to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, says Middle East researcher Eirik Skare to news on Friday. Erik Skare is a postdoctoral fellow and historian at UiO. Photo: University of Oslo Skare says that peacekeeping forces should not be a target for either party. – They have the right to protection, according to international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed to news that they operated in the area on Thursday morning, and claimed that Hezbollah was in the area. According to the IDF, they ordered the Unifil employees to stay within their area. However, Unifil has stated that the IDF’s attack on them was carried out “knowingly and deliberately”. – Unbearable Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says at a press conference that the recent events are intolerable, and a violation of international humanitarian law. Guterres says that an escalation of the conflict is a serious threat to global security. – We must do everything to avoid total war in Lebanon. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was recently declared undesirable in Israel. Photo: Wang Lili / Reuters Recently, the Secretary-General was declared unwelcome in Israel, because he has not come up with a clear condemnation of Iran’s rocket attacks against the country. Israel has previously also accused the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) of being in cahoots with Hamas. Israel is the country that has been condemned and criticized the most by the UN in 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other supporters have repeatedly accused their critics of being anti-Semitic. Erik Skare says that the latest development is a typical pattern for the Israeli government. – If it meets international pressure, they meet it with accusations of anti-Semitism. For example, Netanyahu has referred to the UN as a “house of darkness” and “a swamp of anti-Semitic bile”. – Are they right? – That Guterres is an anti-Semite falls on its own unreasonableness. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lebanon condemns the attacks against the UN forces, writes AFP. So does France, which has called in Israel’s ambassador on the carpet. China also says it strongly condemns Friday’s attack. To news, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) says that it is highly objectionable that Israel fires at UN forces. Long conflict Israel and Hezbollah’s conflict stretches back a number of years. The peacekeeping forces were established by the UN Security Council in 1978, due to Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon that year. The purpose was to ensure that Israel withdrew from the area. It didn’t happen until 2000. Due to a lot of unrest at the border, Unifil has remained in the area ever since. After the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the parties have carried out repeated airstrikes against each other across the border. In September, the conflict escalated, after several thousand pagers belonging to Hezbollah members exploded. On 30 September they also entered the country. Last week Unifil expressed concern about the IDF’s military operations in the south of the country. According to Unifil, Israel has asked them to move their forces, which they have refused to do. These were stepped up sharply at the end of September, when Israel entered the country. On Thursday, at least 22 were killed in an attack in Beirut, according to Lebanese health authorities. The target must have been a leader in Hezbollah. Published 11.10.2024, at 10.05 Updated 11.10.2024, at 21.51
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New attack against UN forces in Lebanon – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
