Israel UN: Attack on peacekeepers can be a war crime
Following the firing on UN blue helmet troops in Lebanon during battles between Israeli soldiers and the Islamist Hezbollah militia, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urges restraint.
13.10.2024, 23:40
SDA
The personnel and posts of the Unifil troops stationed in Lebanon should never be targeted, he said through a spokesperson in New York. "Attacks on peacekeepers violate international law, including international humanitarian law. They could constitute a war crime."
In response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call to withdraw Unifil troops from the combat zones, Guterres said that the Unifil peacekeeping force would remain at its bases in southern Lebanon "and the UN flag will continue to fly".
Unifil's task is to monitor compliance with the ceasefire following the 2006 Lebanon war. The force, with more than 10,000 UN soldiers involved, is armed but does not have a robust mandate. This means that it can essentially only use its weapons in self-defense.
In recent days, the blue helmet soldiers have come under fire several times, and at least four soldiers were injured on Thursday and Friday. On Sunday, Israeli tanks violently broke through the main gate of a UN post in Ramja - which Guterres described as "very worrying".
The Israeli military reported that a tank transporting wounded soldiers and under fire had penetrated a few meters into the Unifil base while turning. In addition, smoke grenades had been detonated to ensure the evacuation of the wounded. The tank then left the base. At no time did the Israeli forces pose a threat to the UN soldiers.
