Another UN Peacekeeper was injured in southern Lebanon a day after IDF hit the UNIFIL base in Naqoura as Iran-backed Hezbollah retaliates against Israeli infiltration into Ramiya village. The peacekeeper was injured by gunshots but it is not clear who opened fire.
The Israeli attacks on UN Peacekeepers drew flak with India, the US and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning the strikes. France summoned Israeli ambassador while Italy and Spain called the strikes “unjustifiable”.
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US President Joe Biden said he asked Israel not to hit UNIFIL forces. The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin III called Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on Saturday and expressed concerns about Israel targeting UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese Armed Forces.
India had also expressed its concerns about the deteriorating security situation along the Blue Line, which demarcates the Lebanon border with Israel and the Golan Heights. It added that the UN premises must be respected by all parties and safety of UN peacekeepers must be ensured.
India is among the top contributors to UNIFIL, along with countries like France and Italy. UNIFIL was formed in 1978 to restore peace in the region.
Earlier, the IDF fired on the headquarters for two days and asked the peacekeepers to abandon the headquarters.
Israeli military said that Hezbollah fired more than 300 projectiles during Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday and it claimed that in response it killed 50 militants in Lebanon. On the other hand, Hezbollah said it fired the rockets to target an Israeli infantry unit trying to enter Lebanese village of Ramiya.