Israel firing on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon raises international alarm
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UN Interim Force In Lebanon armored personnel carriers depart a base to patrol near the Lebanon-Israel border. Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images
President Biden called on Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Friday, while three European leaders issued a joint statement condemning Israel's attacks.
Why it matters: Israeli troops wounded four members of the UN Interim Force in Southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) in two separate incidents on Thursday and Friday, sparking strong international backlash and raising additional scrutiny on its ground operation in the area.
- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pressed his Israeli counterpart to take steps to prevent such incidents, the Pentagon said on Friday.
- Asked if he was calling on Israel to stop hitting peacekeepers, Biden said: "Absolutely, positively."
Driving the news: Two peacekeepers were injured Thursday when an Israeli tank fired at their position, while two more were injured Friday in explosions near an observation tower, UNIFIL said.
- Meanwhile, UNIFIL's headquarters has sustained damage from explosions and another UNIFIL position near the border was damaged by an Israeli military construction vehicle.
Behind the scenes: The incidents came after Israel requested that UNIFIL — established in 1978 and charged with helping maintain security near Lebanon's border with Israel — withdraw its forces to at least 5km from the border.
- "UNIFIL rejected the request," an Israeli official said.
- The decision to stay was made in consultation with the countries contributing troops, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti tells Axios.
"Peacekeepers remain in all positions in southern Lebanon and the UN flag continues to fly. Despite the challenges we continue to monitor as best as we can," Tenenti said.
What they're saying: UNIFIL said in a statement that attacking peacekeepers was a "grave violation of international humanitarian law."
- French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued a joint statement on Friday expressing "outrage" over the "unjustifiable" Israeli attacks and calling them "a serious violation" of international law.
- The French Foreign Ministry claimed the IDF was deliberately targeting peacekeepers and summoned the Israeli ambassador for an explanation. Italy also summoned Israel's ambassador.
- Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin called the Israeli attacks "absolutely unacceptable" as well as "reckless and intimidatory."
- France, Italy, Ireland and Spain are among the 50 countries that contribute to UNIFIL's 10,000-strong force.
- The Pentagon also expressed concern, without accusing Israel of intentionally targeting peacekeepers. The statement said Austin "emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of UNIFIL forces" and urged Israel to seek a "diplomatic pathway" in Lebanon "as soon as feasible."
The other side: IDF international spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani claimed the UN peacekeepers "were inadvertently hurt during IDF combat against Hezbollah."
- He stressed the IDF "expresses deep concern" over the incidents and is conducting "a thorough review at the highest levels of command to determine the details."
- "The IDF takes every precaution to minimize harm to civilians and peacekeepers alike," he said. "We are committed to a careful examination of these incidents and to engaging in ongoing dialogue with UNIFIL and the nation states that participate in the peacekeeping mission."
The big picture: Israel says its ground operation is intended to uproot Hezbollah and allow Israeli citizens to safely return to their homes near the border.
- Lebanon's Health Ministry says more than 2,000 people have been killed in Lebanon in Israel's bombardment and ground operations over the last two weeks.
Go deeper: Biden and Netanyahu closer to consensus on Israel's plans to attack Iran
