U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon pledge not to give in to Israeli demands to 'get out of harm's way'


U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon pledge not to give in to Israeli demands to

Updated Oct. 15, 2024, 7:11 PM GMT+5 Four soldiers with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon were injured last week after Israel fired on their position. A fifth was hit by gunfire although it is unclear who fired the shot. The United Nations said it wouldn't bow to pressure to withdraw its peacekeepers from southern Lebanon despite its forces coming under fire and repeated demands from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they move out of the area. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, will stay in “all its positions,” including those near the border where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah, the head of peacekeeping operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix told reporters in New York on Monday. He added that the decision to keep them in place had the full backing of both the U.N. Security Council and the member states contributing troops to the force, which Israel says has failed in its mission to stabilize the area as Hezbollah’s presence has grown. Adversaries for decades, the sides have been clashing since the Iran-backed group started firing rockets over a year ago in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian group's Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel killed 1,200 people, with 250 taken hostage. More than 42,000 have been killed in Gaza in the ensuing war, according to local health officials. The fighting near the Israel-Lebanon border has prompted 1.2 million people in Lebanon to leave their homes, while Israel is also seeking to return tens of thousands of citizens to their homes in the north. In recent weeks Israel doubled down on its offensive after widespread bombing of Lebanon began on Sept. 17 when pagers belonging to members of Hezbollah, long Iran's most powerful proxy force, exploded across the country. On Oct. 1, Israeli troops crossed the border after the country's military leaders declared a new phase in the war. Lecroix’s comments came after the U.N. Security Council expressed “strong concern” at a meeting held to discuss the four UNIFIL soldiers who were injured after Israel fired on their positions last week. A fifth was injured by gunfire during military activity although it was unclear who fired the shot. The series of events drew international criticism, as Spain, France and Italy condemned the incidents. President Joe Biden’s assertion that he is “absolutely, positively” asking Israel to stop hitting peacekeepers underscored just how far the situation has spiraled. UNIFIL, which was established by the U.N. Security Council in 1978 after Israel's first invasion of Lebanon, also accused the Israel Defense Forces of shooting its cameras, destroying its main gate and forcing entry into one of its positions. The Israeli military has promised to investigate some of the claims. In a video address on Sunday, Netanyahu said UNIFIL was providing “a human shield to Hezbollah terrorists,” and appealed directly to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to get U.N. peacekeepers “out of harm's way.” Ahmed Benchemsi, Human Rights Watch spokesperson for the Middle East, told NBC News that there is “absolutely no justification” to fire upon U.N. forces. “Peacekeeping operators are considered civilians, even if they’re armed,” he said, adding that it was vital UNIFIL remained on the ground.