UN peacekeepers say Israel fired on headquarters in Lebanon, wounding two

Israel admitted its forces had opened fire in the area and said Hezbollah fighters, against whom it was waging an escalating war, were operating near U.N. posts.

Italy, a major troop contributor to the force, said the acts “could constitute war crimes,” while Washington said it was “deeply concerned.”

The incident came after the peacekeeping mission last week rejected Israeli demands for “relocation” from some of its positions.

UNIFIL, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since the escalation between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on September 23 following a year of cross-border fire.

“This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon at an observation tower at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall,” the mission said, using an acronym for the Israeli one Military. The peacekeepers suffered no serious injuries, “but they remain hospitalized,” it said. A UNIFIL spokeswoman said they came from Indonesia, an important troop contributor to UNIFIL.

Indonesian U.N. Ambassador Hari Prabowo said the incident “clearly demonstrates Israel’s position above international law, above impunity and above our shared values ​​of peace.”

Israel said its military “opened fire on the area” of the UNIFIL base after telling U.N. forces to seek shelter.

Italy’s defense minister said the attack and other incidents UNIFIL accuses Israel of “could constitute war crimes” and demanded an explanation because “it was not a mistake.”

Guido Crosetto described the “shooting” as “unbearable” and protested to his Israeli counterpart and the country’s ambassador to Italy.

In Washington, the White House is “deeply concerned,” a spokesman for the National Security Council said on Thursday.

“We understand that Israel is conducting targeted operations near the Blue Line to destroy Hezbollah’s infrastructure… it is critical that they do not jeopardize the safety and security of UN peacekeepers.”

Spain’s Foreign Ministry said it “strongly condemns the Israeli shooting at UNIFIL headquarters,” which it called a “serious violation of international law.”

– “Significant risk” –
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris, whose country is contributing about 370 soldiers to the mission, said “any fire near UNIFIL troops or facilities is reckless and must stop.”

UNIFIL said Israel also “hit the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering… and damaged vehicles and a communications system.”

The mission added that an Israeli military drone “was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance.”

UNIFIL headquarters and nearby positions were “repeatedly hit,” the mission said.

On Wednesday, “IDF soldiers intentionally shot at and disabled surveillance cameras around a position,” UNIFIL added.

U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said peacekeepers were “significantly at risk” and that as of Sunday, 300 blue helmets had been temporarily moved to larger bases, “with plans to move another 200.”

UNIFIL’s presence in the most affected positions would be reduced by 25 percent, he said.

“The security of peacekeepers is now increasingly at risk,” Lacroix told the UN Security Council on Thursday.

– “Extremely dangerous” –
According to official figures, Israel has attacked Hezbollah positions in Lebanon in the past two weeks, killing more than 1,200 people and displacing more than a million.

It said it was carrying out “limited” attacks across the northern border, while Hezbollah repeatedly said it was firing on Israeli soldiers attempting to advance in the area.

Earlier on Thursday, Hezbollah said it had destroyed an Israeli tank advancing toward Ras al-Naqura and fired rockets at Israeli troops in another Lebanese border area, Mais al-Jabal.

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

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

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