1 month ago
Last Updated: October 13, 2024, 20:18 IST
Beirut/Tel Aviv
Spanish peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) coordinate their patrol with the Lebanese army, in Marjayoun in south Lebanon. (IMAGE: AFP)
Netanyahu said the UN chief must move peacekeepers deployed in south Lebanon out of "harm's way", saying Hezbollah was using them as "human shields".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the United Nations on Sunday to evacuate troops in its UNIFIL peacekeeping force from combat areas in Lebanon.
Netanyahu said the military had asked the UN to evacuate the soldiers repeatedly, adding that their presence in the area made them hostages of Hezbollah.
In a separate statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared UN Secretary-General António Guterres persona non grata, barring him from entering Israel.
He criticised Guterres for failing to condemn Iran’s missile attack on Israel and accused him of exhibiting antisemitic and anti-Israel behaviour.
He highlighted that a recent poll showed 87% of the Israeli public supported this decision, suggesting widespread dissatisfaction with Guterres’ actions.
Katz stated, “Guterres can continue seeking support from UN member states, but the decision will not change,” showing that the Israeli government remains unimpressed with the UN and a deepening divide between the global body and the country who is at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Here Are The Latest Updates On The Ongoing Conflicts In West Asia:
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has told her Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu that attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon are unacceptable.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the UN chief on Sunday to move peacekeepers deployed in south Lebanon out of “harm’s way”, saying Hezbollah was using them as “human shields”.UN peacekeepers in Lebanon said Israeli tanks broke through a gate to enter a Blue Helmet position on the Lebanese side of the border Sunday, after blocking their movement the previous day.UN peacekeepers in Lebanon on Sunday asked for explanations from the Israeli army over what they said were “shocking violations” against their force, including forcing entry into one of their positions.Iran‘s top diplomat said Sunday there would be “no red lines” in defending the country’s people and interests, but efforts would continue to “contain an all-out war in our region”.Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned Sunday his Israeli counterpart’s call to UN chief Antonio Guterres to remove peacekeepers from the Lebanese side of the border, where clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli troops have intensified.Israeli warplanes hit a 100-year-old mosque in a village near the border on Sunday, Lebanon’s official News Agency (NNA) said.The Israeli military said its 36th division continued “targeted and limited operational activity” against Hezbollah.Hamas condemned Israel’s military campaign in northern Gaza on Sunday, as Israeli forces focused their operations around Jabalia in the Palestinian territory.Pope Francis asked Sunday for “respect” for UN peacekeepers in Lebanon who have accused the Israeli military of deliberately firing on their positions.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has o
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