Netanyahu: UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon Become 'Human Shields' for Hezbollah
Reporter
October 14, 2024 | 11:09 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, October 13, 2024, accused the UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon of acting as "human shields" for Hezbollah. Netanyahu made the accusation after Israeli attacks injured five personnel of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in recent days.
The Israeli military had warned UNIFIL to evacuate southern Lebanon as they carried out air and ground operations against Hezbollah militants. However, the peacekeeping forces have so far refused.
Netanyahu said their refusal to carry out cleansing "has the impact of giving human shields to Hezbollah terrorists," and said they have become "hostages of Hezbollah."
He had earlier urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to "immediately" withdraw UNIFIL from the battle zones in southern Lebanon.
"Mr. Secretary-General, remove UNIFIL forces from danger. It must be done now," he said in a video statement.
In recent days, at least five UN peacekeeping personnel were injured due to Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon.
The statement came after a UN peacekeeping member was injured in gunfire that took place overnight in the town of Naqoura, southern Lebanon, according to UNIFIL on Saturday.
"Last night, a peacekeeper at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura was shot due to ongoing military activities nearby. He underwent an operation at our hospital in Naqoura to remove the bullet and is currently in stable condition," UNIFIL wrote in X.
The origin of the shots is still unknown, the UN forces added. On the same night, an explosion from the shooting nearby damaged a UNIFIL building in the village of Ramyah.
The UN forces called on all parties in the Israel-Hizbullah conflict to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel, including by avoiding combat activities near UNIFIL positions.
Earlier on Thursday, UNIFIL stated that an Israeli tank fired a weapon towards an observation tower in Naqoura. The direct shooting caused two Indonesian peacekeeping members to fall and sustain injuries.
Furthermore, two other peacekeeping members were also injured on Friday due to two explosions near the observation tower in Naqoura.
On October 1, Israel launched a ground operation against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, while continuing air and rocket attacks on the Lebanese movement.
The UN stated that UNIFIL peacekeepers had repeatedly come under fire during the ongoing conflict.
Israel has carried out large-scale air strikes in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since September 23. These attacks have killed at least 2,255 people, injured more than 10,524 others, and displaced over 1.34 million people.
This airstrike campaign marks an escalation from the cross-border war between Israel and Hezbollah over a year since it began its attacks in Gaza Strip, where Israel has killed nearly 42,200 people, mostly women and children, since Hamas' last attacks last year.
Despite international warnings that the Middle East is on the brink of a regional war amid Israel's relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, the country widened the conflict on October 1 by launching attacks on southern Lebanon.
FRANCE24
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