The United Nations reported on Thursday that two peacekeepers were injured and are receiving treatment after Israeli forces fired on their main headquarters in the southern Lebanese city of Naqoura. According to a statement from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Israeli forces “deliberately” attacked three of its positions in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours.
This development comes as Israel continues to carry out ground incursions across the Lebanon border amidst its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah, which began a year ago, alongside its war with Gaza following the October 7 attack.
UNIFIL’s accusations come at a time when Israel faces increasing scrutiny for alleged violations of international law, with accusations of involvement in crimes against humanity.
In a statement issued on 10 October, UNIFIL said that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have clashed with Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and “repeatedly hit” its headquarters in Naqoura and other nearby positions.
“This morning, two peacekeepers were injured when an IDF Merkava tank fired at an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing the peacekeepers to fall. Fortunately, their injuries are not serious, but they remain in hospital,” the statement read.
UNIFIL also accused Israel of firing on UN Position (UNP) 1-31 in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers had taken shelter. The attack reportedly damaged vehicles and communication systems. “An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance,” the statement added.
The UN body further alleged that IDF soldiers “deliberately fired and disabled” the perimeter-monitoring cameras at the position. “They also deliberately targeted UNP 1-32A in Ras Naqoura, where regular Tripartite meetings were held before the conflict, damaging lighting and a relay station,” the statement noted.
UNIFIL urged Israel to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property, calling for it to “respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times.”
“UNIFIL peacekeepers are in southern Lebanon to support a return to stability under a Security Council mandate. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Israel, in a statement issued on Thursday, claimed that Hezbollah operates from within and near civilian areas in southern Lebanon, including locations close to UNIFIL positions. It added that IDF personnel in Naqoura had instructed UN forces in the area to “remain in protected spaces,” after which the forces opened fire.
Tensions between UNIFIL forces and the IDF escalated on Sunday, when a UN official stated that Israeli forces had established a forward operating base in Lebanon “dangerously close” to another UN position. Following this, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti, based in Beirut, said that Israeli troops had returned to their base, despite claims by the UN Secretary-General that they had withdrawn earlier in the week, according to the Washington Post.
In a separate report issued by the UN Human Rights Commission on 10 October, Israel was accused of pursuing a policy aimed at destroying Gaza’s healthcare system. The report described it as a “crime against humanity” for “extermination” through relentless attacks on medical personnel and facilities.
“Israel must immediately stop its unprecedented wanton destruction of healthcare facilities in Gaza,” said Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission. “By targeting healthcare facilities, Israel is attacking the right to health itself, with significant long-term detrimental effects on the civilian population. Children, in particular, have borne the brunt of these attacks, suffering both directly and indirectly from the collapse of the health system,” Pillay added.
It is estimated that over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the war began. In the recent attacks on Thursday, at least 27 people were killed, including seven women and a child, in an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced civilians in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah.
In another attack on Thursday, 22 people were killed and 117 were injured when Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s central Basta neighbourhood, which houses displaced people, The Guardian reported.