Israel has to be accountable for “deliberate” and “direct fire” on UN outposts, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces has said.
On Friday, the Israeli military said its forces fired at a “threat” near a UN peacekeeping mission position in southern Lebanon.
According to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unfil), the strikes on its Naqoura headquarters injured two peacekeepers for the second time in as many days.
Asked if he believed claims from Israel that the injuries were an inadvertent result of fire at Hezbollah positions, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy said: “In these circumstances, I don’t.”
On the most recent incident in which peacekeepers were injured, he said: “That is of grave concern because in my view that is a clear violation, an egregious violation in my view.
Speaking to on Friday evening, Mr Clancy added: “A round of a tank into an observer tower, which is a very small target has to be very deliberate, and it is a direct fire.
“So from a military perspective, this is not an accidental act, it is a direct act.”
Elsewhere, several T-walls at UN position 1-31 near the Blue Line demarcation in Labbouneh, fell when an IDF caterpillar hit the perimeter and Israeli tanks moved in the proximity.
In a statement, Unifil said this constituted a “a serious development, and Unifil reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times”.
“Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolution 1701 (2006),” Unfil added.
While all Irish personnel are said to be “well and accounted for”, the Defence Forces expressed concern about recent Israeli actions – including breaches of the Blue Line near Irish peacekeepers.
However, it said that Irish personnel had not been directly affected by the incoming fire and added that necessary force protection measures were being followed.
“Our troops serve as crucial observers and facilitators of humanitarian aid, contributing significantly to international efforts aimed at restoring peace and security.
“The ongoing cooperation with Unifil highlights the importance of maintaining a presence in this volatile region, especially as hostilities continue between Israel and Hezbollah.”
Earlier, Tánaiste Micheál Martin described recent IDF activity on the Blue Line as “reckless and intimidatory”.
He said attacks on peacekeepers were attacks on the international community.
Mr Martin said there had been a “serious intensification of IDF hostility towards UN forces.”
He added that the international community needs to put pressure on Israel to stop its actions.
