Escalating Tensions: U.N. Peacekeepers in Lebanon Under Siege
The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, has recently come under a series of targeted attacks by the Israeli military. Despite mounting pressure from Israel to withdraw, UNIFIL remains steadfast in its commitment to maintain its positions along the Lebanon-Israel border. This assertion was made by Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for the peacekeeping force, during a press briefing conducted via video link from Beirut.
According to Mr. Tenenti, the Israeli military has “repeatedly targeted our positions, endangering the safety of our troops.” He further emphasized that the militant group Hezbollah is also posing a significant threat to the peacekeepers by launching rockets in close proximity to UNIFIL’s positions directed towards Israel.
UNIFIL is comprised of approximately 10,000 troops from 50 different countries, who are stationed at 29 various positions near the border. Their primary mission involves monitoring the ongoing conflict and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in southern Lebanon, who are enduring the repercussions of the violence.
In a recent statement, Israel accused the U.N. peacekeepers of acting as a protective barrier for Hezbollah and has called for their withdrawal from the region. However, Mr. Tenenti confirmed that all contributing nations, along with the U.N. Security Council, have unanimously agreed that UNIFIL must continue its operations in all current locations. “I think the role of UNIFIL at the moment is more important than ever,” he asserted.
Furthermore, Mr. Tenenti disclosed that UNIFIL had discovered “a trace of a possible use” of white phosphorus near one of their positions. However, the peacekeeping force lacks the necessary resources to investigate reports of its broader application in Israel’s bombardment of southern Lebanon. White phosphorus can cause severe burns, and its use against targets near civilian populations is prohibited under international law. Notably, a UNIFIL commander had previously accused Israel of directly targeting a peacekeeping position with white phosphorus munitions last year.
Since October 10, peacekeepers have reported coming “under deliberate attack” on five separate occasions as Israeli forces intensify their campaign against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Among the alarming incidents reported, an Israeli tank fired upon a UNIFIL observation tower occupied by Serbian peacekeepers on Wednesday, causing significant damage to the structure and destroying two surveillance cameras.
In addition, there were instances where two Israeli tanks intruded into a UNIFIL site, remaining there for approximately 45 minutes. Furthermore, two peacekeepers sustained injuries when an Israeli tank targeted an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, located on Lebanon’s southern Mediterranean coast, just six days ago.
Although Israel has denied specifically targeting U.N. peacekeepers, Mr. Tenenti firmly refuted this claim, stating, “What happened is clear deliberate targeting of peacekeepers because there was no one else around.” He added that there were no other exchanges of fire occurring at the time of these incidents.
