Politics Pentagon calls on Israel to protect blue helmets in Lebanon
Following repeated attacks on blue helmet soldiers in southern Lebanon, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has called on the Israeli military leadership to better protect the UN observer mission Unifil.
17.10.2024, 05:54
SDA
In a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Joav Galant, Austin emphasized the importance of taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the UN troops and the Lebanese armed forces, according to the Pentagon. Austin also emphasized the need to pursue a diplomatic approach to improve the protection of civilians on both sides of the Israeli-Lebanese border.
Soldiers from the UN observer mission Unifil had been shot at several times in recent days. Some have named Israeli troops as the perpetrators, others have spoken of an unclear situation in the fighting between Israeli soldiers and the Shiite militia Hezbollah. Around 40 German soldiers are also stationed at the Unifil headquarters in Lebanon.
In addition, Austin once again called on Israel to take measures to alleviate the suffering of the people in the Gaza Strip. He encouraged the Israeli government to take further steps to improve the appalling humanitarian situation, the Pentagon announced. On Tuesday, the US government had already called on Israel to significantly improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip within 30 days. Failure to do so could result in a violation of US laws on military assistance - which could possibly also jeopardize American military aid for Israel.
Israeli tanks fire on observation tower, according to the United Nations
According to the United Nations, an Israeli tank fired on an observation tower of the UN peacekeeping mission Unifil in southern Lebanon. "This morning, peacekeepers at a position near Kfar Kila observed an Israeli Merkava tank firing at their watchtower," Unifil announced. Two cameras were destroyed and the tower was damaged. "Once again we see direct and apparently deliberate fire on a Unifil position," the statement said. The UN observers called on the Israeli military "and other actors" to fulfill their obligations and ensure the safety of UN personnel and property. The inviolability of the United Nations and its property must be respected.
US military flies attacks on Huthi weapons depot in Yemen
The US armed forces have reportedly attacked underground weapons depots belonging to the Houthi militia in Yemen. According to the Pentagon, various weapons components were stored in the five underground depots, which were used for attacks on civilian and military ships in the region. B-2 stealth bombers were also used in the airstrikes. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war around a year ago, the Houthis have regularly fired missiles or drones at targets in Israel and ships in the Red Sea. Like Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the militia in Yemen is supported by Israel's arch-enemy Iran.
UN: "Devastating attack" by Israel kills more civilians
According to the United Nations, the Israeli attacks in Lebanon are having an increasingly "devastating impact on civilian infrastructure and the civilian population". Health facilities, mosques, historic markets, residential complexes and now also government buildings are being reduced to rubble, according to a statement by the UN emergency relief office Ocha. A "devastating attack" in Nabatija in southern Lebanon had "claimed the lives of more civilians". The attack was carried out just as a crisis meeting of the community was being held there. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 16 people were killed and 52 others injured in the attack on a municipal building.
