The Israeli army, which has hit UNIFIL positions a number of instances, denies duty regardless of footage.
United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon have reported one other Israeli assault on their positions as floor and air assaults on Lebanon proceed to assert lives.
The UN Interim Power in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mentioned on Friday that two Israeli army excavators and one bulldozer had destroyed a part of a fence and a concrete construction at a UN base in Ras Naqoura a day earlier.
The Israeli army denied any exercise after UN forces contacted it to protest, regardless of UNIFIL publishing footage of the incident on-line.
The Israeli army’s “deliberate and direct destruction of clearly identifiable UNIFIL property is a flagrant violation of worldwide legislation and backbone 1701”, UNIFIL mentioned, referring to the UN Safety Council decision geared toward ending the 2006 battle between Israel and Hezbollah.
Assertion:
Yesterday, two IDF excavators and one IDF bulldozer destroyed a part of a fence and a concrete construction in a UNIFIL place in Ras Naqoura. In response to our pressing protest, the IDF denied any exercise was going down contained in the UNIFIL place. pic.twitter.com/gQm02hjNTG
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) November 8, 2024
Since September 30, Israel has repeatedly demanded that UN peacekeepers vacate their internationally mandated premises so it may extra freely advance with its floor invasion of southern Lebanon.
The peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon has been focused 40 instances since then, UNIFIL’s deputy spokesperson Kandice Ardiel informed Al Jazeera on Friday.
Ardiel mentioned eight of these assaults have been confirmed to have originated from the Israeli military. Peacekeepers have been wounded and property destroyed in earlier assaults.
Israel additionally requested that UNIFIL evacuate 29 websites close to the Blue Line, the UN-delineated line of withdrawal between Israel and Lebanon, Ardiel mentioned. Earlier, UNIFIL mentioned Israeli forces have been destroying and eradicating blue barrels that mark the Blue Line.
“Yesterday’s incident, like seven different related incidents, just isn’t a matter of peacekeepers getting caught within the crossfire, however of deliberate and direct actions” by the Israeli army, UNIFIL added.
UNIFIL convoys ‘in danger’
European Union international coverage chief Josep Borrell on Friday mentioned the bloc condemns an “incident which put in danger an UNIFIL convoy and left a number of peacekeepers wounded” after six Malaysian peacekeepers have been injured on Thursday by an Israeli drone strike that killed three Lebanese individuals in a automotive close by.
Borrell’s assertion didn’t instantly title Israel and mentioned “all events should guarantee the protection and safety of UN personnel and permit them to hold out their very important mission below UNIFIL’s mandate”.
In the meantime, the Israeli army continues to push forward with its floor operation in southern Lebanon and launch air strikes throughout the nation as Hezbollah fires rockets and launches drones into Israel.
A minimum of three individuals have been killed and greater than 30 wounded in one of many newest Israeli assaults on Lebanon that struck two buildings within the historical metropolis of Tyre on Friday night time.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Well being introduced that at the least 15 individuals have been killed and 69 wounded on Thursday because of Israeli strikes.
Since October final yr, at the least 3,117 individuals have been killed and 13,888 wounded by Israeli assaults in Lebanon, the ministry mentioned. Amongst them, 617 are ladies and 192 youngsters.
The casualties embody 180 well being staff. The ministry mentioned hospitals have been attacked 65 instances.
Israeli assaults are ongoing throughout the Gaza Strip as nicely, the place greater than 43,000 individuals have been killed since October final yr, practically 70 p.c of them youngsters and ladies, in keeping with the UN. That is whereas famine is looming in northern Gaza, which has been below siege for greater than a month.
