The attacks on the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, are causing growing tensions between Israel, the UN and international partners. The European Union strongly condemned the attacks against peacekeepers, pointing out the unacceptability of such actions, which violate international law, and called for an immediate end to such incidents. The EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, expressed his deep concern and recalled the importance of protecting peacekeepers.
The United States also expressed displeasure over the incidents. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant the need to protect peacekeepers and called for a shift from military action to diplomacy. At the same time, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said that UNIFIL could not cope with Hezbollah attacks and called for the peacekeepers to withdraw, arguing that their presence does not contribute to the protection of Israeli citizens.
The escalation of fighting in the area where UNIFIL is based has caused Israeli tanks to cross the peacekeepers’ base, leading to mutual accusations. Israel insists that peacekeepers are ineffective and can, knowingly or not, serve as human shields for Hezbollah.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen on Monday accused UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon of being a useless force unable to protect Israeli citizens from Hezbollah attacks and called on them to withdraw troops to as the fighting intensifies.
“The State of Israel will do everything possible to ensure the safety of its citizens, and if the UN cannot help, then at least it should not interfere and withdraw its personnel from combat zones,” he said.
In this complex environment and contradictory positions, the risk of conflict escalation persists, especially as Israel intensifies military operations against Hezbollah and its military infrastructure in Lebanon.
Recall that the UN considered the evacuation of IDF soldiers in the Merkava tanks as an “attack” on the UNIFIL base.
