08.11.2024, 18h21
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Friday accused the Israeli army of damaging one of its positions in the south of the country, in an action described as “deliberate and direct”.
The events, which occurred on Thursday, come after “seven other similar incidents” perpetrated by the Israeli army, UNIFIL said in a statement. “These are not peacekeepers caught in the crossfire, but deliberate and direct actions on the part of the Israeli army,” she adds.
According to the statement, two excavators and a bulldozer “destroyed part of a fence and a concrete structure at a UNIFIL position in Ras Naqoura.”
“We also note with concern the destruction and removal this week of two of the blue barrels which mark the withdrawal line demarcated by the UN between Lebanon and Israel,” adds the United Nations Interim Force, noting that the peacekeepers “directly observed” the Israeli army removing one of them.
10,000 peacekeepers
More than 10,000 UNIFIL peacekeepers have been stationed in southern Lebanon since 1978 to act as a buffer with Israel, responsible in particular for monitoring the Blue Line, the demarcation line set by the UN between the two countries.
In October, a UNIFIL spokesperson identified more than 30 incidents that occurred during the month and resulted in material damage or injuries to the Blue Helmets, including around twenty due to Israeli fire or actions.
Wounded
“Despite the unacceptable pressures exerted on the mission by various means, the peacekeepers will continue to carry out” their tasks, assured the Force.
On Thursday, UNIFIL reported five peacekeepers “slightly injured” in an explosion after, according to the Lebanese army, an Israeli strike targeting a car at the entrance to Saida, in southern Lebanon “as a convoy” of the UN force.
