Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned his colleague Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to withdraw international peacekeepers from the Lebanese side of the border. This call was made in the context of escalating clashes between Hezbollah terrorists and IDF forces.
“Lebanon condemns the position of Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli aggression against UNIFIL peacekeepers. The warning that Netanyahu addressed to Guterres, demanding the withdrawal of UNIFIL, represents a new chapter in the rapprochement of an enemy that does not respect international norms,” Mikati emphasized.
As previously reported, Israel sent Lebanon a proposal to move UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) to the north of the country in response to growing hostilities with the Hezbollah group. Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said moving peacekeepers 5 kilometers further north could reduce security risks, as the situation along the Blue Line remains highly volatile.
Previously, “Cursor” wrote that US President Joe Biden called on Israel to stop attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon after two incidents that resulted in injuries to Blue Helmets. The U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, a force of about 10,000 peacekeepers tasked with preventing weapons and militias from entering southern Lebanon, said Israeli troops opened fire on three positions held by U.N. peacekeepers.
