US Appeals to Israel to Cease Fire on UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon
President Joe Biden of the United States has strongly urged Israel to halt attacks on United Nations peacekeepers amid its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. This comes after two incidents within 48 hours left UN soldiers injured.
On Friday, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) admitted responsibility for an incident where two Sri Lankan soldiers serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were hurt. According to the IDF, troops identified a threat near the UNIFIL base in Naqoura and responded with gunfire. The Israeli army promised to investigate the situation at the “highest levels.”
A day earlier, two Indonesian UNIFIL soldiers were injured after an Israeli tank fired near an observation tower, causing them to fall.
France, Italy, and Spain condemned Israel’s actions in a joint statement, calling for an immediate end to what they described as unjustifiable attacks. Sri Lanka also strongly criticized the IDF’s actions after two of its soldiers were injured.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of UN peacekeeping, raised concerns about deliberate attacks on UN positions. He noted evidence suggesting direct fire had struck a UN observation tower and damaged cameras at another site.
Meanwhile, the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continues. On Friday, the IDF reported about 100 rockets fired from Lebanon into northern Israel within 30 minutes, as well as two drones, one of which was intercepted.
In southern Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed a two-year-old girl and two Lebanese soldiers, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. In Beirut, emergency workers combed through the rubble from Israeli airstrikes that killed 22 civilians and injured 117 others. The Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, condemned the strikes, calling them a “crime” against the international community.
Israel has been conducting ground operations in southern Lebanon for the past month, intensifying its response to Hezbollah’s rocket fire. Since October of the previous year, Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire following a deadly attack by Hamas in southern Israel. Hezbollah claims its attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
The IDF said that the UN post in Naqoura was located about 50 meters from the perceived threat, and peacekeepers had been warned to stay in protected areas. UNIFIL also reported that Israeli military vehicles had damaged barriers at another UN site near the border.
There are currently around 10,000 UN peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon from 50 countries, with 800 civilian staff working alongside them. They have been tasked with maintaining peace along the “Blue Line,” the UN-recognized border between Lebanon and Israel, since 1978.
Despite calls for their withdrawal, Jean-Pierre Lacroix reiterated that UNIFIL peacekeepers would remain in their current positions, despite Israel’s request for them to move 5 kilometers northward to avoid danger.
As Israel continues its offensive, Lebanon has reported over 2,000 deaths, with thousands more displaced. Hezbollah’s rocket fire has killed several civilians, including two Israelis and a Thai national.
In Gaza, the situation remains dire as well. Israeli airstrikes in the Jabalia refugee camp have claimed at least 30 lives, with the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders reporting that thousands, including some of its own staff, remain trapped.
Dr. Mohammed Salha, acting director of al-Awda Hospital, warned of an imminent fuel shortage at the hospital as the area has been under siege for days, further complicating an already critical situation for those unable to evacuate safely.
