Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on UN peacekeepers to heed the Israeli military’s warning to immediately evacuate Lebanon as fighting intensifies amid Israel’s ground operations.
Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on locations occupied by first responders and UN peacekeepers since the beginning of the ground operation against Hezbollah. The military has accused Iran-backed militant groups of using the ambulances to transport fighters and weapons, and Hezbollah has said, without providing evidence, that it operates in close proximity to peacekeepers.
On Sunday, the Lebanese Red Cross said emergency workers were searching for casualties in the remains of a house destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. The second airstrike left four emergency personnel with concussions and damaged two ambulances.
Rescue operations are being coordinated with United Nations peacekeeping forces, which have informed the Israeli side, the statement said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
On October 5, 2024, a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) armored personnel carrier departs from its base in Marjayoun, Lebanon, to patrol near the Lebanese-Israel border. Karl Cote/Getty Images
Jagan Chapagain, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), called for protection for rescuers.
“We have said it before and we say it again today: the Red Cross emblem must be respected under international humanitarian law,” he said in a statement shared on X.
Five peacekeepers have been injured in Israeli attacks in recent days.
In a video addressed to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who is banned from entering Israel, Netanyahu called on peacekeepers to heed Israel’s evacuation advisory and said Israel would provide Hezbollah with a “human shield.” “I’m doing it,” he accused.
“We regret the injury to UNIFIL soldiers and are doing everything we can to prevent this injury. However, the simple and obvious way to ensure this is to simply remove them from the danger zone.” he said.
He added: “Secretary-General, please move UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. Do it now and immediately.”
Hezbollah rescue workers stand on the rubble of a destroyed building in a shopping district that was hit by an Israeli airstrike on Saturday night, Sunday, October 13, 2024, in the town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. Mohammad Zaatari/Associated Press
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has refused to leave its positions in southern Lebanon.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told AFP in an interview on Saturday: “The decision to remain was unanimous because it is important that the UN flag still flies high in the region and that we can report to the Security Council.” spoke.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, began firing rockets at Israel on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas attacked Israel and the Gaza war began. The conflict escalated dramatically in September, when a series of Israeli attacks killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and most of his senior commanders. Israel launched a ground operation into southern Lebanon earlier this month.
At least 2,255 people have been killed in Lebanon since the start of the conflict, including more than 1,400 since September, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, which did not say how many were Hezbollah fighters. At least 54 people were killed in rocket attacks in Israel, nearly half of them soldiers.
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