UN force in Lebanon says Israeli tank rammed its vehicles in south

Beirut: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that an Israeli tank rammed peacekeeping vehicles on Sunday in the country’s south where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since last month.

“On two occasions today, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers rammed UNIFIL vehicles with a Merkava tank, in one case causing significant damage,” the statement said, adding that the Israeli soldiers had blocked a road in south Lebanon’s Bayada “that is used to access UNIFIL positions”.

“Over the past week, Israeli soldiers have fired ‘warning shots’ in the area, striking and damaging clearly identifiable UNIFIL vehicles. In one case, a ‘warning shot’ landed a metre away from a peacekeeper who had dismounted his vehicle,” the statement added.

“Israeli soldiers have continually blocked peacekeepers’ movements on this road in recent days, in addition to denials of freedom of movement recorded in other areas,” it said.

UNIFIL patrols in south Lebanon near the Israeli border where Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting since last month after the Iran-backed militant group drew Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran.

Three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in south Lebanon last month, with a preliminary UN investigation finding one was killed by Israeli tank fire, while the two others were killed by an improvised explosive device.

Other UNIFIL peacekeepers have also been wounded since the war erupted.

This month, “Israeli soldiers have also destroyed force protection cameras” in UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqura “and five other positions”, the statement said.

On Saturday, Israeli soldiers “spray-painted the windows of the headquarters’ pedestrian access gate, denying visibility to the external perimeter”, it added.

UNIFIL said the actions were inconsistent with the “requirement to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers” and their freedom of movement.

United Nations peacekeepers have served as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel for decades, but their mandate concludes at the end of this year.