On Monday, Eli Cohen, Israel’s energy minister, criticised the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations in southern Lebanon, Unifil, arguing they have failed to safeguard Israelis from Hizbullah assaults and requested their departure amidst an escalation of combat. Cohen stated on X that Israel intends to take necessary measures to guarantee the security of its citizens, suggesting the UN should at least refrain from meddling and strategically relocate its personnel from areas of conflict if they cannot offer direct assistance.
Tensions between Israel and the UN have escalated as accusations are being traded over the role of Lebanese peacekeepers. Amidst this diplomatic strain, Israel is making efforts to take over the region with the aim of eradicating the military foundation of Hizbullah, an organisation supported by Iran.
Allegations of Israeli offences against peacekeeping forces heightened after Israeli tanks reportedly invaded the UN base on Sunday. Both Hizbullah and Israel’s allies take these charges seriously. Binyamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, disagreed with the UN’s version of events; he urged the peacekeepers to pull out, accusing them of unknowingly serving as “human shields” for Hizbullah amidst a flare-up of conflicts.
The Unifil peacekeeping force disclosed in an official announcement that a pair of Israeli Merkava tanks forcefully breached the entrance of a base before dawn on Sunday. After the tanks withdrew, shell explosions occurred nearby, emitting smoke that drifted across the base and affected the health of UN staff.
Tensions remain high in the Middle East, with anticipation of a retaliatory act from Israel against Iran for a missile attack carried out on October 1st. As retribution is expected, the Pentagon announced on Sunday that it intends to deploy US troops and a sophisticated anti-missile system to Israel, as part of their aids.
Hizbullah, however, refutes claims of using the closeness of peacekeepers as a shield. Earlier Sunday, the Israeli military guided foreign journalists to southern Lebanon, showing them what they claim to be a Hizbullah tunnel less than 200 meters from a Unifil post, and a cache of weapons discovered by the troops.
Brigadier General Yiftach Norkin commented that the tunnels discovered were constructed several years prior. He explained that they found themselves in a Hizbullah military base not far from a UN site, acknowledging the presence of a shaft’s trap door concealed by overgrowth and beneath a UN post’s outlook.
Following its announcement of the on-going operations at the border, the Israeli military have reported the demolition of numerous Hizbullah tunnel shafts, rocket launchers, and command hubs. Colonel Olivier Rafowicz disclosed that they discovered a substantial amount of ultra-modern weaponry, tracing back to Iran and Russia, a few days back. “These were primed for an assault on us; a massive invasion into Israel’s northern part,” he said, while exhibiting the crates of arms to the press. The authenticity of these assertions remains unverified by Reuters.
Both Israel and Hizbullah confirm the existence of an elaborate tunnel system in Southern Lebanon, estimated by Israel to stretch up to hundreds of kilometres. Hizbullah’s field officer described these tunnels to Reuters as the central structure of the conflict. No immediate commentary has come from Hizbullah.
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) admitted to having its surveillance capacity crippled following Israeli onslaughts on its watchtower, cameras, communication apparatus, and lighting. According to UN personnel, it might become impossible to monitor potential breaches of international laws amid the strife.
Josep Borrell, chief of the European Union’s foreign policy, criticised EU states on a Monday for the undue delay in denouncing Israel’s assaults on Unifil soldiers in Lebanon, denoting the attacks as completely distasteful.
Italy, France, and Spain, EU nations contributing thousands of peacekeepers to the mission in Southern Lebanon, have complained about recurrent aggressions from Israeli troops. Lloyd Austin, US Defence Secretary, while conversing with his Israeli equivalent, Yoav Gallant, emphasised the need for Israel to enforce necessary steps to safeguard Unifil and Lebanon’s Armed Forces.
A letter has been sent to the Israeli military by Unifil at the outset of October, expressing concern on the Israeli forces encroaching dangerously close to the UN posts, thereby posing significant risks to the peacekeepers. This information has been made available through Reuters.
The ongoing clash between Hizbullah and Israel, which rekindled a year ago when the militant group started launching rockets at Israeli bases in support of Hamas at the initiation of the Gaza conflict, has alarmingly intensified in recent times. Israel’s operations in Lebanon are reportedly targeted at ensuring the safe return of the numerous individuals who have been forced to leave their houses in northern Israel.
Recently, on Sunday, the Israel-based camp of the Israeli army’s Golani Brigade was reportedly stricken by a “flock of drones”, as claimed by Hizbullah. As per Israel’s military, this unfortunate incident resulted in the death of four soldiers and critical injuries to seven others. On the following day, the chief of staff of the Israeli military, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi stated that the attack was tough and the aftermath, distressing.
Hizbullah, being based in Lebanon, has stated that the attack carried out near the city of Binyamina was a direct response to Israeli attacks on Beirut the previous Thursday that resulted in 22 casualties. The claim was later made by the same group that a multitude of missiles were launched towards the elite Golani brigade of Israel with the aim to engage Israel’s air defence systems within the onslaught of drone “squadrons”.
The national rescue service of Israel stated that 61 individuals were wounded in the attack, which is an atypical figure due to the impressive capabilities of Israel’s air defence systems to mitigate harm caused by drones or missiles.