UNIFIL says Israeli tank fired at peacekeepers watchtower in Lebanon

UN peacekeepers successful confederate Lebanon accidental Israeli forces person fired astatine 1 of their positions successful the southbound successful a “direct and seemingly deliberate” onslaught that damaged a watchtower.

The United Nations Interim Force successful Lebanon (UNIFIL) said connected Wednesday its peacekeepers adjacent confederate Lebanon’s Kfar Kila observed an Israeli Merkava vessel “firing astatine their watchtower”, adding that “two cameras were destroyed, and the operation was damaged”.

The incidental is the latest successful a bid of Israeli attacks and violations against peacekeepers successful Lebanon and comes arsenic Israel expands its bombardment and crushed attacks connected the country, sidesplitting hundreds of radical and displacing astir a 4th of the population.

On Sunday, UNIFIL said Israeli troops “forcibly entered” a UNIFIL presumption adjacent the colony of Ramyah, crossing the UN-mandated Blue Line, the de facto borderline betwixt Israel and Lebanon, with 2 tanks. Israeli troops aboriginal fired fume rounds adjacent peacekeepers, leaving 15 unit suffering from tegument irritation and gastrointestinal issues.

UNIFIL besides reported that Israeli troops obstructed a captious logistical question adjacent Meiss el-Jabal connected Saturday.

“We punctual the IDF and each actors of their obligations to guarantee the information and information of UN unit and spot and to respect the inviolability of UN premises astatine each times,” the peacekeeping ngo said.

The Israeli authorities has demanded that UNIFIL permission its positions successful confederate Lebanon, claiming the Lebanese equipped radical Hezbollah is utilizing peacekeepers arsenic “human shields”, but the peacekeeping unit has refused to bash so.

Hezbollah denies Israel’s accusation that it uses the proximity of peacekeepers to support its fighters.

‘Grave concerns’

Israeli crushed troops, which entered confederate Lebanon much than 2 weeks ago, person been battling Hezbollah successful the area. Backed by warplanes, Israeli forces person continued to onslaught towns and villages. At slightest 16 radical were killed successful an Israeli onslaught connected a municipal gathering successful Nabatieh connected Wednesday.

The UN Security Council has urged Israel to support peacekeepers and their positions amid wide planetary condemnation of the attacks.

UNIFIL consists of immoderate 10,000 peacekeepers from much than 50 countries, including Indonesia, India, and Ireland.

On Wednesday, 16 EU countries that lend soldiers to the UN’s peacekeeping ngo called for revised rules of engagement successful Lebanon, saying they request to beryllium much effectual successful airy of caller attacks.

“The connection we privation to nonstop to Israel is that if you halt your army, the UN tin besides alteration its attack successful that portion of Lebanon, truthful that we tin peacefully execute what you’re present trying to bash by attacking Hezbollah’s bases militarily,” Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto told Italian nationalist broadcaster RAI.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has expressed “particularly sedate concerns” implicit Israel’s caller attacks connected UN peacekeepers successful Lebanon.

“We are highly acrophobic by the unsafe escalation successful Lebanon, affirm our enactment for the Lebanese people,” the GCC said successful a associated connection with the EU pursuing a acme successful Brussels.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s situation effect portion said 27 radical person been killed and 185 wounded successful the past 24 hours, the Lebanese Health Ministry said connected Wednesday.

At slightest 2,367 radical person been killed successful Israel’s attacks connected Lebanon, and 11,109 wounded, since October 8, 2023, the ministry said.

The situation effect portion recorded 138 airstrikes and shellings successful the past day, mostly successful confederate Lebanon, the confederate suburbs of Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.

Emergency workers wounded

Separately, 2 Lebanese Red Cross paramedics were injured by shrapnel portion looking for wounded radical aft an onslaught connected the municipality of Jouaiya successful confederate Lebanon.

The Lebanese Red Cross posted connected the societal level X that 2 of its ambulances, successful coordination with UN peacekeepers, arrived successful Jouaiya connected Wednesday day pursuing an Israeli raid.

As the paramedics began searching for casualties, the country was targeted again, leaving 2 paramedics with insignificant shrapnel wounds. Both were taken to Jabal Amel Hospital “and their information is not worrisome,” the radical said.

Four Lebanese Red Cross volunteers were besides wounded successful a onslaught Sunday portion responding to an onslaught successful Serbine, a colony successful the Nabatieh governorate.

According to the Health Ministry, implicit 100 paramedics person been killed by Israeli airstrikes since October 8 and much than 220 person been injured. The strikes person besides destroyed 128 ambulances and occurrence trucks and damaged astatine slightest 10 hospitals and 45 aesculapian centers.

Al Jazeera analogous Ali Hashem says Israel’s systematic demolition of Lebanese towns adjacent their shared borderline indicates that it is trying to marque the country uninhabitable.

“In the south, we saw pictures of Israel detonating a full village, the colony of Mhaibib, that’s conscionable connected the border,” helium reported from Beirut.

“That gives an denotation that determination is an effort to marque the borderline villages unlivable truthful that radical won’t get backmost determination adjacent if determination is simply a colony oregon an extremity to the hostilities betwixt the 2 sides.”