The United Nations said on Sunday Israeli tanks had burst through the gates of a base of its peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, the latest accusation of Israeli violations and attacks that have been denounced by Israel’s own allies.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the United Nations to evacuate the troops of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force from combat areas in Lebanon. Hours later, the force reported what it described as additional Israeli violations, including two Israeli Merkava tanks destroying the main gate of a base and forcibly entering before dawn that morning.

Soon after the tanks left, shells exploded 100 metres away, releasing smoke which blew across the base and sickened U.N. personnel, causing 15 to require treatment despite wearing gas masks, it said. It did not say who fired the shells or what sort of toxic substance it suspected.

It also accused Israel’s IDF military of halting a logistics convoy. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to the statement.

  • DarthJon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    02·
    1 month ago

    They want them out because they don’t want them caught in the crossfire. They serve no purpose there, so might as well GTFO before they get killed.

    • jpreston2005@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 month ago

      The UN Peace Keeping Force is there for a number of things, but mainly to Keep the Peace.

      They help citizens in a crisis, they monitor for illegal activity (including war crimes), and help with aid distribution. Their efforts are being hindered by the idf:

      UNIFIL has said previous Israeli attacks on a watchtower, cameras, communications equipment and lighting had limited its monitoring abilities. U.N. sources say they fear any violations of international law in the conflict will be impossible to monitor.

    • kaffiene@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      1 month ago

      They don’t want to be observed. Just as with Gaza where they won’t let foriegn journalists in

      • jagged_circle@feddit.nlEnglish
        1·
        1 month ago

        Their job is to record war crimes. Israel doesn’t like when people record their war crimes. Thats why they’ve murdered hundreds (thousands?) of journalists

          • jagged_circle@feddit.nlEnglish
            1·
            1 month ago

            Well there’s some. France has stopped sending weapons. Ireland has issued sanctions. The South Africans have fucking brought them to court for genocide. Nicaragua just cut diplomatic ties.

            There’s been varying degrees of consequences from maybe a quarter of the world’s countries.

            But we need more, of course. Especially from the US.