Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is increasing attacks against UNIFIL and UNRWA, the agency for Palestinian refugees. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has been declared persona non grata on Israeli soil.
War in the Middle East: Israel’s attacks on the United Nations
By Jean-Philippe Rémy
Reading: 3 min.
The message has the merit of being clear. On Sunday, October 13, two Israeli tanks broke down the door of a UNIFIL base in Lebanon at dawn and forcibly entered a United Nations compound in a context where Israeli fire has already wounded five blue helmets from the interposition force in the previous days. This new incident adds to the pressure exerted by Israel to obtain the withdrawal of United Nations forces from southern Lebanon. To reinforce the point, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered, on the same day, peacekeepers to evacuate the south of the country, where his army entered on day 1.Ahem October to fight Hezbollah there. Addressing this strong petition to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, declared persona non grata in Israel, on October 2, Netanyahu threatened: “Their refusal to evacuate UNIFIL soldiers turned them into Hezbollah hostages. This endangers their lives and those of our soldiers. »
