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CloseRead moreCloseThe organization said Israeli tanks forced their way into a UN peacekeeping base in southern Lebanon on Sunday, the latest accusation of violations and attacks on the UN by the Israel Defense Forces.
This comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on UN forces to withdraw from the area.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said two Israeli Merkava tanks were destroyed and crashed through the base’s main gate in the early hours of Sunday morning.
After the tanks left, an artillery shell exploded 100 meters away, releasing smoke and billowing through the base, causing a UN worker to become ill and 15 people, who were wearing gas masks, requiring medical treatment. Announced.
In its interpretation of the event, the Israeli military said militants from the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at Israeli troops, injuring 25 people. The attack was so close to the Unifil garrison that tanks supporting the evacuation of the wounded following artillery fire subsequently retreated to the Unifil garrison.
“We are not storming the base. We are not trying to enter the base. The tanks came under heavy shelling and suffered heavy casualties, so we retreated to avoid danger,” military international spokesman Nadav said. Shoshani told reporters.
A UNIFIL armored personnel carrier leaves its base in Marjayoun on October 5th to patrol near the Lebanon-Israel border (Getty)
The military said in a statement that it used smoke bombs to protect the evacuation of wounded soldiers, but that its actions posed no danger to U.N. peacekeepers.
Five peacekeepers have been injured in a series of attacks in recent days, with UNIFIL placing the primary blame on Israeli forces.
The UN force said any deliberate attack on peacekeepers was a “grave violation of international humanitarian law and resolution 1701, which establishes the mandate.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Sunday that any attack on peacekeepers “could amount to a war crime,” his spokesman said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement to Guterres: “The time has come to withdraw Unifil from Hezbollah strongholds and combat zones.”
He added: “The Israel Defense Forces have repeatedly requested this, but have been met with repeated denials. As a result, it provides a human shield to Hezbollah terrorists.”
Emergency workers respond to the scene of a drone attack in Binyamina, Israel, on Sunday (Getty Images)
Hezbollah on Sunday attacked a military base near the Israeli city of Binyamina with a drone. The Israel Defense Forces said four soldiers were killed and 67 wounded, some seriously.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced Sunday that the United States would send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) squadron and troops to Israel, shortly after Iran warned the United States to keep American troops out of Israel.
Spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the deployment of the THAAD battery at the direction of President Joe Biden.
Maj. Gen. Ryder said the system will help strengthen Israel’s air defenses following Iranian missile attacks on Israel in April and October.
“This action underscores the United States’ unwavering commitment to defend Israel from further ballistic missile attacks by Iran and to protect Americans in Israel,” Maj. Gen. Ryder said.
But it came after Mr Austin expressed “deep concern” in a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday over reports that Israeli forces had opened fire on peacekeeper positions. He called on Israel to ensure its own security and the security of the Lebanese army, which is not involved in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Italy, France and Spain were among the countries that condemned Israel’s reported attacks on UN peacekeepers, and the Italian government, which is usually a vocal supporter of Israel, called the attacks “unacceptable”. denounced.
Aftermath of Israeli airstrike on commercial market in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon (Reuters)
The Israeli military has already told UN peacekeepers to stay out of the way and prepare to move 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the border several weeks ago, according to excerpts of messages seen by Reuters. He said he requested it.
Hezbollah, which Israel has been fighting on the ground in southern Lebanon since launching an invasion earlier this month, denies Israeli accusations that it is using the peacekeepers’ approach for defensive purposes.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah resumed a year ago when the Iran-backed group began firing rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas at the start of the Gaza war, and has escalated sharply in recent weeks. I am doing it.
Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah over the past three weeks has dealt an unprecedented blow to the group, uprooting 1.2 million Lebanese people and killing most of its senior leaders.
The Lebanese government says more than 2,100 people have been killed and more than 10,000 injured in more than a year of fighting, mostly in the past few weeks. The death toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but includes large numbers of women and children.
Meanwhile, the Middle East remains on high alert, fearing that Israel might retaliate against Iran for the barrage of long-range missiles launched on October 1 in response to Israel’s attack on Lebanon.
Iran said on Sunday there was “no red line” to protect its country. Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi’s comments refute suggestions that Iran would absorb an Israeli attack without reaction, as it did when Israel last attacked Iran in the wake of a salvo of Iranian missiles earlier this year. It appears that it was intended to.
Later, the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace commander, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said Tehran was ready to respond to any Israeli action, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
