Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to "withdraw" the peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from the south of the country. This call, immediately condemned by Lebanon, was launched less than 24 hours after 40 countries expressed their "total support" for the peacekeepers and urged for their protection. Five peacekeepers were injured in two days, at the end of the week, by Israeli fire, while the fighting between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, which is leading a ground offensive, has been raging since the end of September along the Blue Line.
UNIFIL issued a statement demanding explanations from Israel for "serious violations" committed by its troops in south Lebanon on Sunday. These violations include Merkava tanks firing at the entrance to a UNIFIL position in Ramieh (Bint Jbeil), as well as the entry of Israeli soldiers into Lebanese territory by crossing the Blue Line. It also said that 15 of its soldiers had to be treated after being asphyxiated by smoke caused by Israeli fire near another of its positions.
UNIFIL is deployed in south Lebanon to act as a buffer force. Its headquarters is in Naqoura, near the border. This force of more than 9,500 soldiers has been caught in the crossfire between Israeli soldiers and Hezbollah since the latter opened a front against Israel in October 2023. It now accuses Israeli troops of “repeated” and “deliberate” shooting at its positions. Its main contingents come from Indonesia, India, Ghana, Italy, Nepal, Malaysia, Spain, Ireland and France.
In a statement Sunday, Netanyahu called for the withdrawal of U.N. peacekeepers from "Hezbollah strongholds" in southern Lebanon, saying that any refusal would make them "hostages of Hezbollah." He added that the presence of UNIFIL endangered the lives of his soldiers. He also recalled that he had repeatedly asked the U.N. to withdraw its troops from the border strip with Israel, but had been faced with "repeated refusals," which he said provided a human shield for Hezbollah fighters.
Caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati quickly condemned the call, denouncing a "new Israeli aggression and hostility towards U.N. forces" in Lebanon. At the same time, he criticized "Israel's disregard for international legitimacy," while reaffirming Beirut's commitment to Resolution 1701 and the positive role of UNIFIL.
