By Euan Ward and Liam Stack
Israeli forces shot at United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, injuring two of them on Thursday, as reported by the U.N. force, which labeled the incident as “a serious breach of international humanitarian law.”
The incident, which harmed two soldiers from Indonesia, sparked international condemnation from nations such as France, Italy, and Spain as the Israeli military conducted a ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon that has claimed over 2,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands since the conflict began, according to Lebanese officials.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, widely known by its acronym, UNIFIL, reported that an Israeli tank had fired at and “directly” hit an observation tower at the headquarters in Naqoura, Lebanon, and that soldiers also targeted a bunker entrance at a separate nearby base where peacekeepers were taking refuge.
The U.N. force condemned the attack, stating in a press release Thursday that it was in discussions with the Israeli military, which claimed it was “reviewing the reports.”
This incident coincided with an Israeli strike on central Beirut, according to Lebanon’s state media. The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that the strike resulted in 18 fatalities and injured 48 others.
Hezbollah maintains effective control over large parts of southern Lebanon, and Israeli officials have consistently criticized UNIFIL for its inability to hinder the group’s activities in that region. The U.N. force has indicated that its capabilities as a peacekeeping mission are intrinsically restricted.
Since October 2023, Hezbollah has been launching rockets into Israel in support of its ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In retaliation, Israel’s military has targeted Hezbollah locations in Lebanon, escalating its campaign against the Iranian-supported militant group. Israeli airstrikes have heavily bombarded Hezbollah’s stronghold south of Beirut, resulting in the deaths of its leader and other high-ranking officials.
Last week, Israeli ground forces entered southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah exerts influence, engaging in intense combat with the militants in the days following.
UNIFIL emphasized the critical need for Israel, Hezbollah, and other combatants to “guarantee the safety and security” of its personnel and facilities, highlighting that Thursday’s incident occurred amidst heightened warfare causing “widespread devastation of towns and villages in southern Lebanon.”
A UNIFIL spokesperson indicated last week that Israeli military forces had established new positions next to the peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon and had been attacking Hezbollah positions from these sites, raising concerns for peacekeepers’ safety.
In response to an Israeli request for U.N. peacekeepers to relocate 5 kilometers north, Farhan Haq, a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, stated, “While we continuously assess the safety and security of our peacekeeping forces, it’s essential they also fulfill their mandate, and they are currently maintaining their positions.” Haq added, “There should be no reason for any member state to target UNIFIL forces.”
According to the UNIFIL statement, the two soldiers injured Thursday were taken to the hospital with “non-serious” wounds.
The peacekeepers located inside the bunker during the second incident — at a base in the town of Labbouneh, approximately 2 miles from Naqoura — were Italian, as informed by a U.N. official familiar with the attacks who requested anonymity due to not being allowed to speak to the media.
UNIFIL reported that vehicles and communications infrastructure had sustained damage. It also mentioned that a day prior, Israeli soldiers had “fired at and disabled” the security cameras around the U.N. site in Labbouneh.
Italy contributes one of the largest contingents to the UNIFIL force. At a press conference Thursday, the country’s defense minister, Guido Crosetto, stated that “the repeated hostile actions by Israeli forces” against the U.N. peacekeeping headquarters “could be considered war crimes.” He categorized these actions as “serious breaches of international law norms, unjustifiable by any military rationale.”
Crosetto further conveyed that he has summoned the Israeli ambassador to express protest over the ongoing situation in southern Lebanon, especially concerning the Italian bases, labeling it as “absolutely unacceptable.”
Spain denoted that attacking U.N. peacekeepers represents a “grave infraction” of international law. France, which proposed a 21-day truce in the fighting last month, condemned “any threat to UNIFIL’s safety.”
“Ensuring the protection of peacekeepers is a responsibility each party in a conflict bears,” stated the French Foreign Ministry. “France urges all parties to honor this duty.”
Israel’s U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, stated in a release from his office Thursday: “We recommend that UNIFIL relocate 5 kilometers north to evade danger as conflicts escalate and while the situation along the Blue Line remains unstable due to Hezbollah’s provocations.”
He added, “Israel does not wish to be in Lebanon, but it will take necessary measures” to push Hezbollah away from its northern border so that around 70,000 residents can return to their homes in northern Israel.
The strike in central Beirut on Thursday targeted a densely populated region home to individuals recently displaced from south Lebanon, as well as from Dahiya, south of Beirut, and the Bekaa Valley. Reports indicated that at least one building was entirely destroyed.
An additional Israeli strike resulted in the deaths of at least five members of the country’s Civil Defense agency overnight, as reported by Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state news sources. This strike hit an operational base where emergency responders waited to tackle relief requests, according to Elie Khairallah, a spokesperson for the agency.
He mentioned that the agency’s regional chief was among those killed, and the building, located near a church in the southern Lebanese town of Derdghaiya, was obliterated in the assault.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry condemned the fatalities, accusing the Israeli military of targeting ambulance crews and rescue personnel. There was no immediate response from Israel’s military.
Since Israel ramped up its offensive against Hezbollah three weeks ago, at least 65 health workers have lost their lives in Lebanon, according to information from the World Health Organization released Tuesday. The agency reported 16 “attacks on health care” throughout the nation during the same timeframe.
Israel’s military has accused Hezbollah of concealing its operations within the civilian populace, asserting in one instance that the militant group has set up a command center adjacent to a hospital.
On Thursday, Hezbollah continued its rocket attacks on Israel, triggering alarms in various parts of the northern region. Some rockets were intercepted, while several others impacted the area, according to the military. Immediate damage or injuries were not reported. Hezbollah claimed its targets were Israeli troops located along the Lebanon border and in the city of Kiryat Shmona.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, suggested in a statement from his office Thursday that diplomatic negotiations with the United States and France to secure a ceasefire had “intensified.”
There was no immediate statement from the United States.
