The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has warned against deliberate attacks on peacekeepers after Israeli troops breached one of their positions.
It said peacekeepers in Ramyah, southern Lebanon, were in shelters when two Israeli tanks “forcibly entered” their position, requesting that the base “turn out its lights”.
Around 45 minutes later, the tanks left after UNIFIL “protested” and told the Israeli soldiers they were putting staff in danger.
Just over two hours later, UNIFIL said several rounds were fired, emitting smoke near the base, causing 15 peacekeepers to suffer from skin irritation and “gastrointestinal reactions”.
It did not state the origin of fire.
UN peacekeepers have been deployed in Lebanon since 1978 and are tasked with maintaining calm and reducing tensions along the “blue line” dividing Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
In today’s statement, UNIFIL said three platoons of Israeli soldiers were seen crossing the “blue line”.
Any unauthorised crossing of the line by land or air from any side constitutes a violation of Security Council resolution 1701, which was adopted following a month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
“For the fourth time in as many days, we remind the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] 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,” UNIFIL said.
“Breaching and entering a UN position is a further flagrant violation of international law and Resolution 1701.
“Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Resolution 1701.”
It said it had requested an explanation from the IDF for the “shocking violations.”
Meanwhile, in the space of three days, five UN peacekeepers were injured in Lebanon, sparking condemnation from the international community.
One peacekeeper was “hit by the gunfire due to ongoing military activity” in the city of Naqoura, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said.
He was taken to hospital to undergo surgery to remove a bullet and is now in a stable condition, it added.
It noted that the origin of the fire was unknown.
Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were injured by explosions near an observation tower at UNIFIL headquarters in the same area on Friday.
The Israeli military said its soldiers identified a threat and responded with fire, and the intended target was located 50m away.
Israeli tank fire hit the same UNIFIL headquarters on Thursday, injuring two Indonesian peacekeepers.
France, Italy and Spain accused Israel of breaking international law following the attacks, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the UN to evacuate peacekeepers from Lebanon’s combat zone.
“Mr. Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately,” Netanyahu said in a video statement issued by his office.
Speaking ahead of a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had asked UNIFIL several times to leave, saying that the peacekeepers’ presence had “the effect of providing Hezbollah terrorists with human shields.
“Your refusal to evacuate the UNIFIL soldiers makes them hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers,” the Israeli Premier said. “We regret the harm to UNIFIL soldiers and we are doing our utmost to prevent such harm. But the simplest and most obvious way to ensure this is simply to withdraw them from the danger zone.”
