Italian defense chief calls for strengthening UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Italy’s defense minister raised concerns over Israeli strikes against the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, calling for a bolstering of the UN forces in the country with updated rules of engagement.

“UNIFIL must be strengthened, and Lebanese forces made more credible … New rules of engagement are needed,” Italian news agency ANSA quoted Defense Minister Guido Crosetto as telling the Senate on Thursday.

Crosetto stressed that Israel should play a role in strengthening the UN peacekeepers, which need real deterrence capability to prevent the use of force.

"Israel must abide by the rules of international law and protect the civilian population, in Gaza as in Lebanon, and the UN contingent," added Crosetto.

He further noted that Israel’s call for UN forces to leave the border area would undermine the organization’s credibility. However, he mentioned that evacuation plans have been updated, tested, and are ready to be implemented if necessary, given the presence of over 1,000 Italian soldiers in the UN mission.

UN Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, calls for a cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel. It also establishes a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line -- the Lebanon-Israel border -- and the Litani River, with the Lebanese army and UNIFIL forces being the only authorized armed presence.

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

The attacks on UN peacekeepers are playing out along with Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon against what it claims are Hezbollah targets. The intensified Israeli assault on Lebanon has killed over 1,500 people, injured more than 4,500 others and displaced at least 1.34 million since late September.

Overall, the number of casualties in Israeli attacks since last October is now over 13,000, according to official Lebanese figures.