Israeli Tanks Smash into UN Peacekeeper Base in Southern Lebanon
Netanyahu demands UN withdraw all peacekeepers from
the ‘danger zone’
by Jason Ditz October 13, 2024
As the Israeli invasion of Lebanon escalates, it has
been reported that on Sunday morning Israeli tanks smashed their way into a UN peacekeeper base in southern Lebanon
near Ramia. Exactly why they decided to force their way into a UNIFIL base,
which is of course a violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, is not
at all clear.
Reports from the ground are that the two Merkava tanks
forced their way in while the UNIFIL personnel were in shelters. They demanded
that the base shut off all lights. They remained inside the compound for around
45 minutes, and left after the UN filed a protest through liaisons.
That wasn’t the end of it, either, as two hours after
the Israeli tanks left, they fired an unidentified smoke munition just north of
the UN position. The UNIFIL personnel were wearing gas masks, but 15 of them
were still reported to have sustained skin irritation or gastrointestinal
symptoms when the smoke reach their base. They are receiving medical treatment.
This is in addition to around five UN peacekeepers who
have been reported injured over the last week since the Israeli invasion of the
area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that they are “doing
everything in our power” to prevent UN injuries, but added this to demands that the UN immediately
withdraw all their
peacekeepers from the “danger zone.”
The UNIFIL was established in 1978, and was meant to
tamp down violence in southern Lebanon. They peacekeepers’ mandate was changed
several times to adjust to Israeli invasions of the area, and its mandate was
substantially increased to try to restore Lebanese sovereignty to southern
Lebanon after the 2006 Israeli invasion.
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