UN peacekeepers ‘are wounded after Israeli tank fires on its HQ in Lebanon’

The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said Israeli tank fire at its headquarters in the south of the country wounded two of its members, and accused Israel of “repeatedly” attacking its positions.

It comes after the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) said last week it had rejected Israeli demands to “relocate” some of its positions.

UNIFIL, which has around 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah on September 23, after a year of cross-border fire.

“This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon at a watchtower at UNIFIL headquarters in Naqura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall,” the force said, using an acronym for the Israel Defense Forces.

The two peacekeepers did not suffer serious injuries, “but they remain in hospital,” the report said. A UNIFIL spokeswoman said the victims were Indonesian.

According to UNIFIL, the Israeli army also hit another position in Ras Naqura, further south, on Thursday.

The peacekeeping force said it “hit the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were hiding, and damaged vehicles and a communications system.”

“An IDF drone was observed flying within the UN position up to the entrance of the bunker,” the report said.

“UNIFIL’s Naqura headquarters and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit,” the force said.

On Wednesday, “IDF soldiers deliberately shot at and disabled the cameras monitoring the perimeter surveillance of the position,” it added.

“They also deliberately shot at (a location) where regular tripartite meetings were held before the conflict started, damaging lighting and a relay station.”

“We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the sanctity of UN buildings at all times,” the report said.

Italy’s defense minister, which along with Indonesia is among UNIFIL’s biggest troop contributors, summoned Israel’s ambassador on Thursday after the peacekeepers were injured, a government source told AFP.

UNIFIL said last week that the Israeli army, before beginning ground operations in Lebanon, had asked peacekeepers to “move” out of certain positions.

The peacekeeping mission rejected the demand, which Ireland’s President Michael Higgins called “an insult to the most important global institution.” Ireland has about 370 troops in the mission.

On Sunday, UNIFIL warned that Israeli operations near one of its positions southeast of Maroun al-Ras were “extremely dangerous” and jeopardized the safety of the peacekeepers.

Israel has destroyed so-called Hezbollah positions in Lebanon over the past two weeks, killing more than 1,200 people and driving more than a million from their homes, according to official figures.

The country has said it is carrying out “limited” incursions across its northern border, while Hezbollah has repeatedly said it was firing at Israeli soldiers who tried to penetrate the area.

Earlier on Thursday, Hezbollah said it had destroyed an Israeli tank advancing towards Ras al-Naqura and fired rockets at Israeli forces who then tried to collect their wounded.

The Iran-backed group also said it had fired rockets at Israeli forces in another Lebanese area along the border called Mais al-Jabal.

It said it fired rockets at several areas in northern Israel, including an area north of the city of Haifa.

UNIFIL was founded in 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces after they invaded Lebanon in retaliation for a Palestinian attack.

It was strengthened in Security Council Resolution 1701 after Hezbollah and Israel fought a war in 2006, and its peacekeepers are charged with monitoring the ceasefire between the two sides.