UN forces shelled by Israeli military

 

Israeli military has fired at UN staff

Alex Rodriguez,

Rebecca Rosengart

Updated 14.10 | Published 12.53

Genre image from 2022. The image depicts a UN military vehicle in Lebanon. Photo: Mohammad Zaatari / AP

Israeli troops fired on positions controlled by the UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, in southern Lebanon on Thursday, a UN source told Reuters. It is not clear what type of shelling it is about.

It is supposed to be about three different places where attacks took place against the group and the source says that one of the places that was shelled was UNIFIL's main base in Naqoura.

The UN states that two peacekeeping soldiers have been injured in the southern parts of the country, reports AFP.

The UN has confirmed the attacks, reports VG.

The Israeli military has not yet commented on the events.

The peacekeeping group had said a few days ago that it was "deeply concerned about the recent activities" of the Israeli military near a peacekeeping position in southwestern Lebanon, according to Reuters.

Hezbollah has said it attacked Israeli forces in the same areas during the day, the news agency reports.

EU rages against Israel after attacks on UN soldiers

TT
Updated 19.27 | Published 10.54

Rescue workers search for survivors after an Israeli attack on Wardaniyeh in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. Photo: Mohammad Zaatari/AP/TT

The EU and several countries are critical of Israel after its military shelled UN positions in Lebanon.

Lebanese media reports on new attacks on targets in central Beirut.

Israel has shelled three positions controlled by the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, Unifil said. An Israeli tank reportedly fired at a guard tower in Naquora, causing two Indonesian UN soldiers to fall and sustain minor injuries.

Israel is also said to have carried out several other attacks against Unifil, including firing at an entrance to a bunker where the peacekeeping force sought protection.

"Line crossed"

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell condemns in a post on X "this unacceptable act, which cannot be justified" and reiterates the Union's support for Unifil.

"Another line has been dangerously crossed in Lebanon: the IDF's shelling of UN peacekeeping forces whose positions are known," writes Borrell, who uses an abbreviation for Israel's military (IDF).

France's foreign ministry is demanding an explanation from Israel. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris says that "any shelling in the vicinity of UNIFIL soldiers or facilities is reckless and must be stopped". Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto directs a protest against his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant.

- The hostile acts committed and repeated by Israeli forces against the base may constitute war crimes, he says at a press conference.

UNIFIL has about 10,000 peacekeeping troops in southern Lebanon.

Attack on central Beirut

Israel has carried out airstrikes on central Beirut on Thursday night, according to Lebanese state media. The attack is said to have been aimed at the residential area of ​​Ras al-Nabaa, which is located near the National Museum.

The attack is the third on the central parts of the city since Israel stepped up its bombing of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in September.

Iran-backed Hezbollah is said to have fired about 50 rockets at northern Israel, several of which are said to have been shot down by air defenses.

The Israeli military has carried out more than 110 airstrikes against the country in the past 24 hours, The Times of Israel reports.

A quarter of Lebanon is now under Israeli evacuation order, according to the UN human rights agency OHCHR.

"Lebanon's humanitarian crisis is worsening at an alarming rate," writes the UN agency for disaster relief, OCHA, in a status report in which Israel is accused of increasing attacks on critical civilian infrastructure.