UN defies Israel’s order to move away from Lebanon border
The UN appears to settings its own peacekeepers up for a deadly clash in Lebanon, after an incident wounded two UNIFIL officers, leading to Israel to order it away from the border area of Lebanon and Israel.
According to an Israeli news website, UNIFIL officers rejected orders from the Israeli occupation army to evacuate posts, an official told Israel’s Walla news site – reports Middle East Monitor on the 11th October.
Earlier, an Israeli Merkava tank fired on an observation tower yesterday, striking it directly and causing two peacekeepers to fall; they were hospitalised after suffering minor injuries, UNIFIL said in a statement.
READ: Wounded left for dead in Jabalia camp as Israel army advances
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tanti said Israel requested UNIFIL pull back its forces five kilometres away from the border but the countries contributing troops to the force have decided not to leave their positions.
“UN observers remain in all positions and despite the challenges, we continue to monitor the situation, although the ongoing shelling limits our ability to monitor and provide humanitarian aid to Lebanese citizens,” Tanti added.
Walla/Middle East Monitor
