.jpg?20250102')
The United Nations’ peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said yesterday that the Israeli military’s “deliberate and direct destruction” of its property was a “flagrant violation” of international law.
The 10,000-strong UN mission, known as Unifil, is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the “blue line” separating Lebanon from Israel. Since Israel launched a ground campaign across the border against Hizbollah fighters at the end of September, Unifil has accused the Israeli military (IDF) on several occasions of deliberately attacking its bases, including by shooting at peacekeepers and destroying watchtowers.
In its latest accusation, Unifil said the IDF used excavators and a bulldozer to destroy part of a fence and concrete structure at a UN peacekeeping position in southern Lebanon on Thursday. Peacekeepers had also observed Israeli troops this week removing a barrel that marks blue line, it said.
“Yesterday’s incident, like seven other similar incidents, is not a matter of peacekeepers getting caught in the crossfire, but of deliberate and direct actions by the IDF,” Unifil said.
It said the UN force would remain in Lebanon “despite the unacceptable pressures being exerted on the mission”.
&uuid=(email))