‘Get Lebanon’s peacekeepers out of harm’s way, right now’: Netanyahu to UN

Jerusalem:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on the head of the United Nations to move peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon out of “harm’s path,” saying Hezbollah was using them as “human shields.”

His appeal to UN chief Antonio Guterres came a day after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reiterated its refusal to withdraw from the border area after five of its members were injured in the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

“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 before a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had asked UNIFIL several times to leave, saying the peacekeepers’ presence had “the effect of providing human shields to Hezbollah terrorists “.

“Your refusal to evacuate UNIFIL soldiers makes them hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers,” the prime minister said.

“We regret the harm to UNIFIL soldiers and are doing everything possible to prevent such harm. But the simplest and most obvious way to ensure this is simply to remove them from the danger zone.”

UNIFIL has refused to abandon its positions in southern Lebanon.

“There was a unanimous decision to stay because it is important that the UN flag still flies high in this region and that it can report to the Security Council,” the UNIFIL spokeswoman told AFP. Andrea Tenenti, in an interview on Saturday.

He said Israel had asked UNIFIL to withdraw from positions “up to five kilometers (three miles) from the Blue Line” separating both countries, but the peacekeepers refused.

This would have included its 29 positions in southern Lebanon.

‘New Chapter’

UNIFIL, a mission of about 9,500 soldiers of various nationalities, was created after Israel’s 1978 invasion of Lebanon.

He is currently tasked with overseeing a ceasefire that ended a 33-day war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.

Forty UNIFIL partner nations said Saturday they “strongly condemn the recent attacks” against peacekeepers.

“These actions must be stopped immediately and properly investigated,” said the joint statement, released in X by Poland’s UN mission and signed by nations including key contributors Indonesia , Italy and India.

On Sunday, UNIFIL said it had demanded an explanation from the Israeli army over what it said were “shocking violations” against its force, including the force entering one of its positions.

On Sunday morning, Israeli tanks had “destroyed” a UNIFIL position and “entered it by force,” UNIFIL said.

But the Israeli military said a tank had crashed into a UN peacekeeping post when it was attacked during an incident in which several soldiers were injured.

On Sunday afternoon, the Israeli military said about 25 rockets and missiles had been fired at Israel over the past month from Hezbollah compounds “embedded near UNIFIL positions” in southern Lebanon.

He said one of the attacks even killed two Israeli soldiers, but did not specify when the incident happened.

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned Israel’s call for UNIFIL to leave the south.

“The warning that Netanyahu addressed to … Guterres demanding the elimination of UNIFIL represents a new chapter in the enemy’s approach of not complying with international norms,” ​​Mikati said. Earlier, Netanyahu said criticism of Israel was misplaced and should be directed at Hezbollah. “Instead of criticizing Israel, they should direct their criticism at Hezbollah, which uses UNIFIL as a human shield,” he said.

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