Israeli forces attack UN base in Lebanon

Beirut October 20, 2024 (QJ) -The United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon has reported another attack by Israeli forces. This is not the first instance of an assault on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) since Israel initiated a ground operation in southern Lebanon in early October.

During the latest incident, Israeli forces injured at least five peacekeepers and targeted and damaged the UNIFIL base in Ramyah.

These attacks come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to withdraw peacekeepers from conflict zones, accusing their presence of acting as a “human shield” for Hezbollah. However, the UN mission has so far refused to relocate.

UNIFIL comprises around 10,000 peacekeepers from 50 countries, with bases spread across more than 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) between the southern border of Lebanon and the Litani River.