2 More UN Peacekeepers Wounded By Israeli Forces in Lebanon

Last updated on October 11th, 2024 at 04:46 pm

United Nations peacekeeping troops were wounded for the second day in a row on Oct. 11, as a result of Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), in a Friday press statement, said its Naqoura headquarters was bracketed by explosions from Israeli weapons for the second time in 48 hours. Two UNIFIL soldiers were injured in a pair of blasts near the a watchtower on the Naquora installation.

The injuries come one day after UNIFIL reported another two of its soldiers were hospitalized when they fell out of a watchtower at the Naqoura outpost after it was struck by Israeli tank fire.

UNIFIL reported an Israeli military bulldozer damaged the walls surrounding another of its outposts in Labbouneh on Friday.

The Israeli military said its troops identified an immediate threat against them while operating in southern Lebanon on Friday and fired on said threat.

“An initial examination indicates that during the incident, a hit was identified on a UNIFIL post, located approximately 50 meters from the source of the threat, resulting in the injury of two UNIFIL personne,” the Israeli military said.

The Israeli military said it had notified the UN peacekeeping force hours beforehand of their operations. Israeli forces said the UNIFIL troops were under an active Israeli advisory to remain in their shelters, at the time of the incident.

The Israeli side said it’s “continuing to examine the circumstances of the incident.”

UNIFIL demanded Israeli forces exercise caution to garauntee the safety of UN peacekeepers.

“Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 1701 (2006),” UNIFIL said Friday.

UNIFIL was established in 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s invasion that year. UNIFIL’s mission has expanded since then, and they now monitor for compliance with UN-brokered ceasefire agreements between Israel and Hezbollah.

Despite UNIFIL’s presence, Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade fire over the years.

Hezbollah has been in a renewed state of battle with Israel since Oct. 8, 2023; the day after Hamas fighters carried out widespread attacks across southern Israel.

On Oct. 8, 2023, Hezbollah launched a salvo of drones and missiles at Shebaa Farms; a disputed section of territory along the Israeli-Lebanese border currently controlled by Israel. Israeli forces returned fire on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, and the two sides have continued to trade fire over the past year.

Israeli forces have expanded their counter-Hezbollah operations in recent weeks, ramping up aerial bombing across Lebanon, and sending ground forces across the Israel-Lebanon border on Sept. 30.

Though ostensibly only targeting Hezbollah, the Israeli ground operation has put Israeli troops at odds with the Lebanese Armed Forces, and UNIFIL. Israeli forces have urged Lebanese government and U.N. troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon, but have had little success.

Israeli forces have fired on the Lebanese government troops multiple times, killing at least two Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese Armed Forces reported they returned fire in response to Israeli fire that killed a Lebanese soldier on Oct. 3.