Members of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon intend to remain in their facilities in defiance of ongoing requests from Israeli officials to withdraw to safer locations amid escalating hostilities between the IDF and Hezbollah militants in the region.
“The decision was made that UNIFIL would currently stay in all its positions in spite of the calls that were made by the Israel Defense Forces to vacate the positions that are in the vicinity of the Blue Line,” U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix told reporters in New York on Monday.
Lacroix’s comments follow several incidents last week when the multinational security detachment came into conflict with Israeli units maneuvering in the vicinities of its operating bases.
Reports of injuries to UNIFIL staff and damage to their property prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to release an English-language video on Monday confirming he “repeatedly asked them to temporarily leave the combat zone, which is right next to Israel’s border with Lebanon.”
Israel’s military spokespersons have attributed the disruptions to Hezbollah fighters utilizing the areas surrounding UNIFIL infrastructure to launch attacks on IDF contingents with the intention of deterring counterfire or provoking a condemnation of the Jewish state resulting from U.N. casualties.
On Sunday, Netanyahu appealed directly to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres for assistance in the matter.
In addition to Jerusalem's efforts to address the situation, the U.N. Security Council published a statement this week urging all parties to "respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and U.N. premises."
Related Story: What a Surprise: Israel Finds Huge Hezbollah Weapons Cache Mere Meters from a U.N. Observation Tower
