Israel acknowledged that it hit the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura, south of the country, this Friday (11), injuring two “peacekeepers”, who were transferred to hospitals in Lebanon.
UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told Becky Anderson of CNN, that one of the soldiers was seriously injured in the explosion — the second against the headquarters in 48 hours — after being hit in the stomach by shrapnel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Friday that its soldiers “identified an immediate threat against them” and “returned fire against the threat.”
“Hours before the incident, the IDF instructed UNIFIL personnel to enter protected spaces and remain there. This instruction was in force at the time of the incident”, commented the military.
Concern was already growing over the safety of “peacekeepers” in southern Lebanon after the UN accused Israeli troops of wounding two UNIFIL staff on Thursday (10).
In a statement on Friday, UNIFIL said several concrete walls used to protect a UN position near the Blue Line in the village of Labbouneh in southwestern Lebanon collapsed when an Israeli armored bulldozer struck its perimeter.
This happened after “IDF tanks moved in the vicinity of the UN position.”
In a statement on X, the Israeli military highlighted that it was notified that two peacekeepers were “inadvertently injured during IDF combat against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.”
The injuries to UN troops generated international condemnation, including from France and Ireland, two countries with contingents of their national armies in the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
This Friday, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Israeli ambassador to Paris over the matter.
Understand the escalation in conflicts in the Middle East
Iran’s missile attack on Israel on the 1st marked a new stage in the regional conflict in the Middle East. On one side of the war is Israel, with support from the United States. On the other, the Axis of Resistance, which receives financial and military support from Iran and which has a series of paramilitary groups.
There are seven conflict fronts currently open: the Islamic Republic of Iran; Hamas, in the Gaza Strip; Hezbollah, in Lebanon; the Syrian government and the militias operating in the country; the Houthis, in Yemen; Shia groups in Iraq; and different militant organizations in the West Bank.
Israel has soldiers on three of these fronts: Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the other four, it carries out aerial bombings.
The Israeli Army began a “limited ground operation” in Lebanon on September 30, days after Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a bombing of the group’s headquarters in the Beirut suburb.
The Israel Defense Forces say they have killed virtually the entire Hezbollah chain of command in similar bombings carried out in recent weeks.
On September 23, Lebanon had its deadliest day since the 2006 war, with more than 500 fatalities.
At least two Brazilian teenagers died in the attacks. Itamaraty condemned the situation and called for an end to hostilities.
With the increase in hostilities, the Brazilian government announced an operation to repatriate Brazilians in Lebanon.
In the West Bank, the Israeli military is trying to dismantle groups opposed to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.
In the Gaza Strip, Israel seeks to eradicate Hamas, responsible for the October 7 attack that left more than 1,200 people dead, according to information from the Israeli government. The Israeli operation killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s Ministry of Health, controlled by Hamas.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar remains hidden in tunnels in the Gaza Strip, where dozens of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas are also believed to be in captivity.
This content was originally published in Israel recognizes attack on UN peacekeepers base in Lebanon on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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