In a statement on X, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said its peacekeepers “observed an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Merkava tank firing at their watchtower. Two cameras were destroyed, and the tower was damaged”.
“Yet again we see direct and apparently deliberate fire on a UNIFIL position,” the post read.
The incident is the latest in a series of Israeli attacks and violations against peacekeepers in Lebanon and comes as Israel expands its bombardment and ground attacks on the country, killing hundreds of people and displacing nearly a quarter of the population.
On Sunday, UNIFIL noted Israeli troops “forcibly entered” a UNIFIL position near the village of Ramyah, crossing the UN-mandated Blue Line, the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon, with two tanks. Israeli troops later fired smoke rounds near peacekeepers, leaving 15 personnel suffering from skin irritation and gastrointestinal issues. UNIFIL also reported that Israeli troops obstructed a critical logistical movement near Meiss el-Jabal on Saturday.
It came as Israel’s foreign minister claimed Tel Aviv has “no intention” of harming the United Nations’ peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon. The Israeli government has also demanded that UNIFIL leave its positions in southern Lebanon, claiming the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is using peacekeepers as “human shields”, but the peacekeeping force has refused to do so.
Hezbollah denies Israel’s accusation that it uses the proximity of peacekeepers to protect its fighters.
The UN has announced the Israeli military has fired on its peacekeepers multiple times, forcibly entered a base, stopped a critical logistical movement, and injured more than a dozen of its troops in southern Lebanon in recent weeks.
“We remind the IDF 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,” the UNIFIL statement read.
At least 2,367 people have been killed in Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, and 11,109 wounded, since October 8, 2023, the ministry said.
According to the Health Ministry, over 100 paramedics have been killed by Israeli airstrikes since October 8 and more than 220 have been injured. The strikes have also destroyed 128 ambulances and fire trucks and damaged at least 10 hospitals and 45 medical centers.
On Wednesday, 16 EU countries that contribute soldiers to the UN’s peacekeeping mission called for revised rules of engagement in Lebanon, saying they need to be more effective in light of recent attacks.
