Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected outright allegations by several European foreign ministers that Israel had targeted U.N. troops in Lebanon.
“The charge that Israel deliberately attacked UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon] personnel is completely false. It’s exactly the opposite. Israel repeatedly asked UNIFIL to get out of harm’s way,” Netanyahu said in a video message.
His remarks followed a joint statement by the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, in which they expressed “deep concern in the wake of recent attacks by [the Israel Defense Forces] on UNIFIL bases, which have left several peacekeepers injured.”
Separately, a commander of U.N. troops, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said that U.N. forces remain in their positions in Lebanon despite calls from Israel for them to relocate amid escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, AFP reported.
“The decision was made that UNIFIL would currently stay in all its positions in spite of the calls that were made by the Israel Defense Forces to vacate the positions that are in the vicinity of the Blue Line,” he said.
Netanyahu said on Monday that Hezbollah “uses UNIFIL facilities and positions as cover while it attacks Israeli cities and communities. These attacks have claimed the lives of many Israelis.”
Israel, he added, “has every right to defend itself against Hezbollah and will continue to do so. We regret any harm done to UNIFIL personnel, and the IDF is doing its utmost to prevent such incidents.”
Following the Second Lebanon War in 2006, UNIFIL was tasked by Security Council Resolution 1701 to ensure there was no military presence other than itself and the Lebanese military south of the Litani River. In practice, the area was run by Hezbollah, whose terrorists built massive military bases right along Israel’s border, including tunnels under it.