Israel does not stop and attacks Unifil again, the UN mission deployed in southern Lebanon to ensure respect for the border with Israel. According to the Lebanese state news agency (Nna), after yesterday's attack that hit three bases of the UN mission, two of which were manned by the Italian contingent, the Israeli defense forces fired an artillery shell at the entrance to a base of the mission in Naqura, in southern Lebanon, causing damage. Subsequently, a tank shell again hit an observation tower on the road between the base in Naqura and the city of Tyre, wounding two soldiers of the Sri Lankan contingent. According to a report by Lebanese TV Al Mayadeen, affiliated with Hezbollah, and picked up by Haaretz one of the two injured people is said to be in serious condition.
The Israeli military said it had received reports of damage to a UNIFIL outpost and injuries to two peacekeeping soldiers: “The accident is under investigation “We recently received a report of damage to UNIFIL in the A-Nakura area,” the IDF told the Times of Israel, “two members of the UN peacekeeping force were injured. The incident is being investigated.”
Israel's attacks on Unifil bases
On the morning of April 10, two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured after an Israeli tank fired on another observation tower at the UNIFIL headquarters in NaqouraThe two operators who were on the turret fell and suffered non-serious injuries, "but remain hospitalized", Unifil reported.
Israel had previously attacked other two bases, both controlled by Italian soldiers: UNP 1-31 base on Labbuneh hill and UNP 1-32 A base. In the first, after an Israeli drone repeatedly flew over the base, Israeli shots targeted the entrance to the bunker where the Italian soldiers had taken refuge. The attack damaged the communication systems between the base and the UNIFIL command in Naqura. The attack was confirmed by UNIFIL, according to which, already on Wednesday 9 October, the Israeli soldiers had “deliberately shot and deactivated the perimeter monitoring cameras of the position”. They also “deliberately shot on UNP 1-32A”, a base “where regular tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a transmitting station”.
This is the third day that Israeli soldiers have launched an attack against the UN mission despite harsh international condemnation.
The accusations of Minister Crosetto who however specifies: "We remain in Lebanon"
“No military reason and no justification: It's a war crime, not a mistake“, the Minister of Defense stated clearly Guido Crosetto, flanked by the commander of the Armed Forces Operational Command Francesco Figliuolo in the press conference held at Palazzo Chigi on 10 October. The minister first called his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant to protest what had happened and then urgently summoned the Israeli ambassador to Italy Jonathan Peled: "report to Netanyahu that the United Nations and Italy cannot take orders from the Israeli government“, he reportedly said at a press conference.
“We will never be the ones who move because someone tells us, by force, to move. We are there and we will remain there, with the strength of the United Nations mandate,” the minister reiterated today. “Yesterday,” Crosetto added from Kosovo where he went to visit the Italian military, “I responded to Israel that told us to move, that Italy does not take orders from anyone.”I demand respect from Israel. The respect due to a friendly nation engaged in a peacekeeping mission,” Crosetto said.
"There is no talk of the withdrawal of Italian troops, we always talk about the Unifil mission. Any decision is taken by the United Nations and I think they will meet next week to talk about this thing,” he added, answering questions from journalists.
"What is happening is unacceptable. Today we wrote again to the Israeli Foreign Minister: we are waiting for them to conduct an investigation and, given that there is unequivocal evidence that it was Israeli soldiers who fired on the Unifil bases, and this morning there was another incident in a base where there were about seventy Italian soldiers, I reiterate that it is unacceptable" The Foreign Minister stated this Antonio Tajani today in Turin.
Why Israel is attacking Unifil bases
Security sources speculate that the attack on the UN peacekeeping force was aimed at “force her to withdraw” so as not to have “inconvenient witnesses” in view of the army's "future planning". But behind what happened there could also be the desire to distance UNIFIL to use the area as a corridor to the coast and trap Hezbollah fighters in a pincer.
Yesterday evening, Israel also provided an explanation: “This morning, IDF troops operated in the Naqoura area, next to a Unifil base. Consequently, The IDF has ordered UN forces in the area to remain in protected spaces, after which it opened fire in the area,” the Israeli army wrote on social media. The IDF explained that “Hezbollah operates in and near civilian areas in southern Lebanon, including areas near UNIFIL positions.” It added that it “maintains routine communications with UNIFIL.” Words that have greatly angered international leaders. Subsequently, the Israeli embassy in Italy released a statement: “Israel has recommended several times to the Italian soldiers of the UNIFIL to withdraw part of their forces from the area for security reasons, but unfortunately the request was rejected.”
“Israel is investigating the incident with great care and will continue to make every effort not to harm UN forces and individuals not involved in the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah,” the statement read.
“Our recommendation is that Unifil moves 5 km (3 miles) north to avoid danger as the fighting intensifies and as the situation along the Blue Line remains volatile due to Hezbollah’s aggression,” Danon said in a statement. Israeli media reported, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said after Israeli forces opened fire on several UN positions, wounding two peacekeepers.
Today the response from the Italian contingent of UNIFIL arrived: “The Italian military will not abandon the base,” as requested by Israel, our soldiers reiterated. According to what we learned from qualified security sources who are following the dossier, the position was reiterated in a meeting last night – authorized by the Unifil leaders – between the Italians, who manage the bases in the Western sector outside the mission headquarters, and the Israelis in the very base that was hit.
international reactions
Condemnations of the actions of the Israeli army are multiplying by the hour. The latest in chronological order comes from the United Kingdom, where the British government of Keir Starmer it is said “horrified by reports” of deliberate attacks of Israeli forces against the UN contingent of UNIFIL deployed (with a strong Italian presence) in southern Lebanon. This was stated by a Downing Street spokeswoman pressed by journalists' questions on the issue during her briefing today.
From Rome, The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that he will ask the international community to cease arms exports to Israel for “violation of international law” after the “invasion” of Lebanon. “Since October 7, the Spanish government has not exported any type of weapon or military material to Israel, nothing,” he said in a press conference at the Spanish Academy in Rome after meeting with Pope Francis, with whom he discussed this issue. Efe reported.
This morning the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres He said that the Israeli shooting of UN peacekeepers was “a violation of international humanitarian law”.
Even the President of the European Council Charles Michel He strongly condemned the attacks: “An attack against a United Nations peacekeeping mission is irresponsible and unacceptable, which is why we call on Israel and all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law,” Michel said on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos.
“Iran’s recent large-scale missile attack on Israel poses a serious threat to regional stability. I would like to reiterate my call for an end to hostilities as soon as possible, creating space for a diplomatic solution along the Blue Line, in line with UN resolution 1701,” said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visiting Cyprus on the occasion of the Med9 summit.
La China has 'strongly condemned' Israel for the attack on the UNIFIL observation tower that injured UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, expressing “concerns” about the evolution of the situation. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that “any deliberate attack on peacekeeping forces is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 1701,” saying that “such acts are unacceptable and must be stopped immediately.”
(Last update: 16.25pm on Friday 11 October)