Tenenti reported that the Israeli attacks on forces peacekeeping On Wednesday and Thursday, it injured two of its members and disrupted some of its surveillance capabilities.
“Definitely, this may be one of the most dangerous events or incidents that we have witnessed over the past 12 months,” Tenenti said in an interview, referring to the exchange of fire between Israeli forces and a group. Hezbollah Lebanese.
The 50 countries contributing to the force agreed on Thursday to continue the deployment of more than 10,400 peacekeeping troops between the… Litani In the north and the recognized borders of United Nations between Lebanon And Israel, known as Blue line In the south.
“We are there because the UN Security Council asked us to be there. So we will stay until the situation becomes impossible for us to act,” Tenente stressed.
She said “UNIFIL“Two of its soldiers were injured in an incident during which an Israeli tank opened fire on a watchtower at the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, which led to the tower being hit and the two individuals falling.
The peacekeeping force indicated in a statement that Israeli forces opened fire on a nearby site, damaging vehicles and a communications system, and deliberately targeted and disabled surveillance cameras in the area.
And he agreed Israel Its forces were active on Thursday near a UNIFIL base in Naqoura, but it added that it had issued instructions to the United Nations forces in the area to remain in protected places, and then opened fire.
And it was Security Council UNIFIL forces were tasked with helping the Lebanese army keep the south of the country free of weapons and non-state militants, which sparked a dispute with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which effectively controls the region.
Tenenti stressed that the attacks have limited the group’s monitoring capabilities, but it still has crucial work to do “to help local NGOs and UN agencies deliver much-needed food and water to all these villages.”
The escalation of Israeli operations in Lebanon in the past few weeks, including air strikes, artillery fire, and ground incursions into the south, led to the displacement of about 1.2 million people.
Regarding this, Tenenti said, “Thousands have left, but thousands are still stuck in this region. Therefore, resolving conflicts is extremely important. This is a very big challenge.”
According to what United Nations bodies and journalists told Reuters, they coordinate regularly with UNIFIL when traveling to… South Lebanon To ensure that all parties are aware of its presence in the area.
The Israeli army asked UNIFIL last week to prepare to move more than five kilometers from the Israeli-Lebanese border “as soon as possible in order to preserve your safety,” according to part of the letter seen by Reuters.
In the same period, UNIFIL forces sent a message to Israeli army It objects to the stationing of army vehicles and forces “in direct proximity” to United Nations positions on several occasions, including rotating Israeli Merkava tanks around their positions or stopping them next to them.
The letter, dated October 3 and seen by Reuters, said that Israeli forces conducted “engineering works” in the outer perimeter of a United Nations peacekeeping site, which resulted in the conversion of the Israeli site and the United Nations site into “one actual site,” and that these activities “endanger safety and security.” UNIFIL personnel and facilities are at risk.”
