The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said Israeli tank fire on its headquarters in the south of the country wounded two of its members, accusing Israel of “repeatedly” attacking its positions.
It comes after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) said last week that it had rejected Israeli demands to “relocate” from some of its positions.
UNIFIL, which has around 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group on September 23, after a year of cross-border fire.
“This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its gun towards an observation tower at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqura, directly hitting it and causing it to fall,” the force said, using a Israeli army acronym.
The two peacekeepers did not suffer serious injuries, “but remain in hospital,” he added. A UNIFIL spokeswoman said they were Indonesians.
Spanish peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) coordinate their patrol with the Lebanese Military Police, in Marjayoun, southern Lebanon, on October 8, 2024.
United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base in Ebel El Saqi Marjeyoun district, southern Lebanon, 10 October 2024
An Israeli army tank is transported, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, in northern Israel, on October 10, 2024.
According to UNIFIL, the Israeli army also attacked another position in Ras Naqura further south on Thursday.
The peacekeepers said it hit “the entrance to the bunker where the peacekeepers were taking refuge, and damaged vehicles and a communications system.”
“An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position to the entrance of the bunker,” he said.
“The UNIFIL headquarters in Naqura and nearby positions have been repeatedly attacked,” the force said.
On Wednesday, “IDF soldiers deliberately shot and disabled surveillance cameras on the perimeter of the position,” he added.
“They also deliberately fired on (a location) where tripartite meetings were being held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a repeater station.”
“We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN facilities at all times,” he said.
The Defense Minister of Italy, which along with Indonesia is among the largest troop contributors to UNIFIL, summoned the Israeli ambassador on Thursday after the peacekeepers were injured, a government source told AFP.
Members of the United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) observe the border between Lebanon and Israel in a file image from last year.
Spanish peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) coordinate their patrol with the Lebanese Military Police, in Marjayoun, southern Lebanon, on October 8, 2024.
An Israeli tank maneuvers near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in southern Israel, on October 6, 2024.
UNIFIL said last week that the Israeli military, before beginning ground operations inside Lebanon, had asked peacekeepers to “reposition” themselves from some positions.
The peace mission rejected the demand, which Irish President Michael Higgins called “an insult to the most important global institution.” Ireland has around 370 soldiers on the mission.
On Sunday, UNIFIL warned that Israeli operations near one of its positions southeast of Maroun al-Ras were “extremely dangerous” and compromised the security of the Blue Helmets.
Israel has attacked what it says are Hezbollah positions in Lebanon in the past two weeks, killing more than 1,200 people and displacing more than a million from their homes, according to official figures.
It has said it is carrying out “limited” raids across its northern border, while Hezbollah has repeatedly said it was firing on Israeli soldiers trying to advance into the area.
Smoke rises over Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut following Israeli airstrikes, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Sin El Fil, Lebanon, October 10, 2024.
On Thursday, Hezbollah said it had destroyed an Israeli tank advancing toward Ras al-Naqurah and had fired rockets at Israeli troops who then attempted to recover their wounded.
The Iran-backed group also said it fired rockets at Israeli troops in another Lebanese area along the border called Mais al-Jabal.
It said it fired rockets at several areas of northern Israel, including an area north of the city of Haifa.
UNIFIL was created in 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces after they invaded Lebanon in retaliation for a Palestinian attack.
It was reinforced in Security Council Resolution 1701 after Hezbollah and Israel fought a war in 2006, and its peacekeepers are tasked with monitoring the ceasefire between the two sides.