Italy has accused Israel of alleged “war crimes” after UN forces deployed between Lebanon and Israel condemned repeated Israeli army shelling of their positions. As a result, two peacekeepers were wounded, AFP reports.
According to the Israeli military, they had warned the UN forces in advance to stay in “protected areas” before the fighting, which took place near the peacekeepers’ base. The incident provoked a sharp reaction from Washington, Madrid, Paris and Dublin, Agerpres reports.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has about 10,000 troops, has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities after the conflict between the Israeli army and Hezbollah turned into an open confrontation. On Thursday, UNIFIL reported that an Israeli Merkava tank fired on the observation tower of its base in Nakoura, injuring two Indonesian peacekeepers.
Italy, which is one of the largest contributors to UNIFIL with nearly 900 troops, condemned these “intolerable” actions and summoned the Israeli ambassador to present a formal protest. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crozetto said that such attacks could be classified as war crimes and constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law.
Madrid also condemned the “serious violation of international law” and called for the safety of UN peacekeepers. The United States expressed “deep concern”, demanding that Israel not endanger the lives of the Blue Helmets. France demanded an explanation of the incident and condemned any action that could endanger the safety of UNIFIL.
Paris has also demanded that the UN Security Council convene a new meeting to discuss the situation in Lebanon, AFP reports.
