On the fourth consecutive day, it targeted the U.N. peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) tanks destroyed the main gate of its facility at Ramyah in South Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Sunday (October 13, 2024).
Smoke that entered the camp following several rounds fired nearby left 15 peacekeepers with skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions. Israeli soldiers also stopped a critical UNIFIL logistical movement on Saturday (October 12, 2024), it said.
In a video message to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an “appeal” that the “time has come” to withdraw UNIFIL from “Hezbollah strongholds and from the combat zones.”
“Mr. Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately,” Mr. Netanyahu said in the video. “Your refusal to evacuate UNIFIL soldiers has turned them into hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers,” he said.
The IDF said the tank entered the premises as its troops faced a barrage of anti-tank missiles in Southern Lebanon and that a smoke screen was used to provide cover for the evacuation of injured soldiers. “Throughout the entirety of the incident, no danger was posed to UNIFIL forces by the IDF activity,” IDF said, adding its soldiers maintained coordination with UNIFIL throughout.
“An initial review showed that an IDF tank that was trying to evacuate injured soldiers while still under fire backed several meters into a UNIFIL post,” IDF said on X. “Once the enemy fire stopped, and following the evacuation of the injured soldiers, the tank left the post.”
There are more than 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries under UNIFIL, under the Security Council. India is the third largest contributor to the force with 903 soldiers. According to defence officials here, the Indian Battalion has no presence at Ramyah.
Early Sunday (October 13, 2024) morning, peacekeepers at a U.N. position in Ramyah observed three platoons of IDF soldiers crossing the Blue Line into Lebanon, UNIFIL said, and around 4.30 a.m., while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the position’s main gate and forcibly entered the position. “They requested multiple times that the base turn out its lights. The tanks left about 45 minutes later after UNIFIL protested through our liaison mechanism, saying that IDF presence was putting peacekeepers in danger,” it said in a statement.
Further, around 6.40 a.m., peacekeepers at the same position reported the firing of several rounds 100 metres north, which emitted smoke. “Despite putting on protective masks, fifteen peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after the smoke entered the camp,” according to UNIFIL. The peacekeepers are receiving treatment.
In addition, on Saturday (October 12, 2024), IDF soldiers stopped a critical UNIFIL logistical movement near Meiss ej Jebel, denying it passage, the statement said, and the critical movement “could not be completed”.
“Breaching and entering a UN position is a further flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolution 1701 (2006),” UNIFIL reiterated. “Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Resolution 1701. UNIFIL’s mandate provides for its freedom of movement in its area of operations, and any restriction on this is a violation of Resolution 1701.”
“We have requested an explanation from the IDF from these shocking violations,” it added.
Israel has recently announced a ban on Mr. Guterres from entering Israeli territory. On Sunday (October 13, 2024), 104 countries that included European and African countries as well as much of the Global South, “condemned” this, which was not endorsed by India.
On Saturday (October 12, 2024), a joint statement was issued, initially by 34 troop-contributing countries to UNIFIL, later endorsed by six more countries, including India, condemning the ongoing attacks on peacekeepers and calling all to respect UNIFIL’s mission and ensure the safety of its personnel.
‘Appeal’ to withdraw UNIFIL forces
“We are more determined than ever to ensure our future; we are more determined than ever to defeat our enemies,” Mr. Netanyahu said in the video message while stating that IDF soldiers are fighting forcefully to return Israeli residents in the north safely to their homes. “We are not fighting the Lebanese people, we are fighting Iran’s terrorist proxy Hezbollah, which has occupied Lebanon,” he said.
Mr. Netanyahu said the IDF has requested repeatedly that UNIFIL withdraw from Hezbollah strongholds but has met with “repeated refusal”, which “has the effect of providing Hezbollah terrorists with human shields.”
“We regret the harm to UNIFIL soldiers and we are doing our utmost to prevent such harm. But the simplest and most obvious way to ensure this is simply to withdraw them from the danger zone,” the he added.
It is pertinent to note that UNIFIL was established according to Security Council resolutions 425 (1978) and 426 (1978) of March 19, 1978 to: confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon; restore international peace and security; and assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area.
Published – October 13, 2024 11:02 pm IST
