The act of courage has been taken for the 9,500 peacekeepers deployed in southern Lebanon. “The Israeli forces asked us to leave our positions along the “blue line”, from the border up to 5 kilometers from the “blue line”, (…) but there was a unanimous decision for us to stay, because the UN flag must fly in this area”explained Saturday October 12 Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for the United Nations interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
“Deliberate Israeli fire”
However, UNIFIL has reason to feel threatened. Five peacekeepers were injured in forty-eight hours, and its positions suffered “a lot of damage”, deplores this force present in the country since 1978. The peacekeepers have obtained political reinforcement. At least 40 countries have lined up behind a letter distributed on the X account of Poland’s mission to the United Nations: “We strongly condemn the latest attacks against peacekeepers. Such actions must stop immediately and be properly investigated. » Among the European signatories, France, which condemned “deliberate Israeli fire”, but also Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland. Major powers such as China and India have also joined this exhortation. Pope Francis agreed with them on Sunday from the Vatican: “I ask that UN peacekeepers be respected”he said.
« The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is not just a conflict that involves two countries. Very soon it could be a regional conflict with a catastrophic impact for all”said Andrea Tenenti. The UNIFIL multilateral defense operation appears to have led to exchanges between Israel and its American ally. On Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant assured his American counterpart Lloyd Austin that Israel would continue to take measures to protect peacekeepers, while stressing “the operational challenge” of the “proximity” geographic location of Hezbollah and UNIFIL.
Intensification of fighting
The effects of this promise are still awaited as, on Sunday morning, the Lebanese Red Cross again deplored a strike which injured a team of rescuers intervening in coordination with UNIFIL. The peacekeepers announced that two Israeli tanks were “entered by force” Sunday in one of their positions. The open war that began on September 23 with intense Israeli bombardments on Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, notably killing its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, is far from having achieved its objectives. The Israeli government remains determined to roll back the Shiite Islamist paramilitary group so as to stop its rocket attacks and resettle some 60,000 residents of northern Israel who have had to flee their homes.
Fighting intensified in the South on Sunday. While Hezbollah said it had repelled two infiltration attempts by Israeli troops using explosive devices in the eastern part, the Israeli army was pleased to have “destroyed” the infrastructure of the armed group “along the border”killed “dozens” of fighters and “dismantled tunnel galleries and located numerous weapons”. She called for around twenty additional villages to be evacuated. In the midst of the clashes, only one witness: UNIFIL.
