As clashes intensify in southern Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday urged Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, to 'immediately' withdraw the UN peacekeeping forces (UNIFIL) from combat zones. Netanyahu addressed Guterres, saying, 'Mr. Secretary-General, remove the UN peacekeeping forces from the danger zone. This action must be taken immediately.' He further added, 'Your failure to evacuate the UN peacekeeping forces [from the battle areas] turns them into hostages of Hezbollah,' which endangers the lives of Israeli soldiers and these forces. Expressing regret over the injuries sustained by several UN peacekeepers in recent days, he stated that the Israeli army is making every effort to prevent such incidents from occurring again, 'but the simple and clear way to ensure that is to remove them from the danger zone.' Netanyahu also responded to reactions from some European leaders, saying they should criticize Hezbollah for using UN peacekeepers as 'human shields' instead of criticizing Israel. Amidst Israeli attacks on Hezbollah positions in recent days, the UN peacekeeping headquarters in the area was targeted twice. Two UN peacekeepers were injured on Friday due to an Israeli attack near their observation tower in Naqoura, southern Lebanon. This follows an incident a day earlier where two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured after falling from their observation tower due to Israeli artillery fire in the area. The Israeli army, emphasizing its war against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, has stated that it is investigating these two incidents. Currently, more than 10,000 UN peacekeeping forces, mainly from Italy, Malaysia, France, Indonesia, and India, are in Lebanon. The Israeli Foreign Minister defended the country's decision to ban the UN Secretary-General from entering Israel. A Reuters analytical report on 'America's strategy' regarding the Lebanon conflict and 'Israel's approach' states that Hezbollah has formed a 'new military command' following heavy Israeli strikes. The continuation of attacks on Hezbollah positions; the Israeli army emphasized the use of this militia group of 'human shields.' Two Israeli citizens were injured due to rocket attacks by Hezbollah coinciding with Qalibaf's visit to Beirut.
Netanyahu: Hezbollah Uses Peacekeepers as Human Shields
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has called for the immediate withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from southern Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah is using them as human shields. This request comes amid escalating violence between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, raising concerns for the safety of both peacekeepers and Israeli soldiers.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called for the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from southern Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of using them as human shields amidst escalating violence. This follows incidents where UN peacekeepers were injured due to Israeli attacks.
- Netanyahu urged the UN to remove peacekeepers from combat zones.
- Several UN peacekeepers were injured in recent Israeli attacks.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has been in conflict with Israel for decades, with southern Lebanon often being a flashpoint. UN peacekeepers have been stationed there to maintain peace.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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