Israel under fire after tank attack injures UN peacekeepers

Israel has faced international condemnation after a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon reported on Thursday that two of its members had been injured by Israeli tank fire. 

According to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a Merkava tank fired at a watchtower at the force’s headquarters in the border area town of Naqoura, injuring two Indonesian peacekeepers. Any attack on its members is a “grave violation of international humanitarian law,” UNIFIL stated.  

The UN described the incident as a “very serious” development. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told Al Jazeera that while Israel had previously ordered UN peacekeepers to move from “certain positions” near the border, the organization had decided to remain in order to monitor the situation and provide assistance. 

“If the situation becomes impossible for the mission to operate in the south of Lebanon… it will be up to the Security Council to decide how to move forward,” he told the news network. 

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi confirmed on Friday that two of the country’s peacekeepers had been injured in the Israeli attack and were currently in hospital. She condemned Israel for the incident, stressing that any attack on UN personnel and property is a “major violation of international humanitarian law.” 

The US has also said it is “deeply concerned” by reports of the attack. The White House stated that while it understands that Israel’s operations are targeted at destroying Hezbollah infrastructure, it is “critical that they not threaten UN peacekeepers’ safety and security.”  

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell described the incident as an “inadmissible act, for which there is no justification.” He stressed that Israel has an obligation to respect both international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which gives UNIFIL a mandate to help the Lebanese army keep its border area with Israel free of weapons and armed personnel. “Full accountability is needed,” Borrell insisted.  

Other countries to speak out against Israeli actions include Italy, France, Spain, Ireland, Türkiye, and Canada. The Russian Foreign Ministry also expressed outrage over the actions of the Israeli military and demanded that West Jerusalem refrain from hostile actions against UNIFIL peacekeepers.  

Israel, meanwhile, has confirmed that its troops opened fire near a UNIFIL base after instructing UN forces in the area to take cover in protected spaces. The Jewish state’s military has claimed that Hezbollah fighters had been operating in the region from within and near civilian areas, including UNIFIL posts. 

Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, has recommended that peacekeeping forces relocate several kilometers to the north while the situation in the area remains “volatile as a result of Hezbollah aggression.”