Israeli tank strikes UN peacekeeping watchtower in southern Lebanon

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) – An Israeli tank on Wednesday fired at the UN peacekeeping watchtower in Kafr Kila of southern Lebanon, according to UNIFIL.

“This morning, peacekeepers at a position near Kafer Kela (Kafr Kila) observed an IDF (Israeli army) Merkava tank firing at their watchtower,” said the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in a statement.

Two cameras were destroyed, and the tower was damaged, the peacekeeping force confirmed, describing it as a “direct and apparently deliberate” attack on the UNIFIL position.

UNIFIL concluded that it reminds the Israeli army and all actors of their obligations “to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times.”

On Sunday, Israeli tanks reportedly forced their entry into a UN post, marking the latest in a series of incidents that have left several peacekeepers injured.

Over the past week, Israel has repeatedly targeted UNIFIL positions in southern Lebanon, sparking worldwide condemnation and fears about its larger military plans.

Israel has mounted a huge air campaign in Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets since Sept. 23, killing more than 1,500 people and displacing more than 1 million.

The aerial campaign is an escalation from a year of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah since the start of its offensive on the Gaza Strip, in which Israel has killed more than 42,400 people, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack last year.

Israel expanded the conflict on Oct. 1 by launching an incursion into southern Lebanon.