Israel tank fires on UN peacekeepers' headquarters in Lebanon, injuring troops
Naqura, Lebanon - The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon said Israeli tank fire on its headquarters in the country's south on Thursday wounded two of its members.
As Israel continues its invasion of its neighbor – ostensibly to root out its arch-enemy Hezbollah – it has run up against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which has been in place since 1978.
"This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall," the force said.
"The injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain in hospital," it said, adding that "UNIFIL's Naqura headquarters and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit".
According to UNIFIL, the Israeli military also hit another position in Ras Naqura on Thursday.
The peacekeeping force said it hit "the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system."
"An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance," it said.
On Wednesday, "IDF soldiers deliberately fired at and disabled the position's perimeter-monitoring cameras," UNIFIL added.
"They also deliberately fired on (a site) where regular tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a relay station."
"We remind the IDF 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," it said.
Irish UNIFIL troops have for weeks rejected Israeli orders to make way for the advancing invasion of Lebanon, during which Israel has already killed well over 2,000 people – the majority of them civilians, per local health authorities.
Cover photo: REUTERS