The Israeli military’s attack on a U.N. watchtower in southern Lebanon on Friday, injuring two peacekeepers, marks the third consecutive day of such incidents. This urgency is a result of Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hezbollah, Iran’s ally in Lebanon, and its escalating war in Gaza. Israel’s increasing strikes against Hezbollah and its push into Lebanon to halt rocket attacks on northern Israel have heightened the need for immediate attention to the situation.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, accused Israel of repeatedly firing at its positions over the past 24 hours. The latest attack came at a UNIFIL base in the southern town of Naqoura, where an Israeli tank shot toward an observation, U.N. officials said. Two peacekeepers, both from Indonesia, were wounded, they added.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto of Italy, whose country contributes more than 1,200 troops to Unifil, accused the IDF of acting illegally and called for an immediate ceasefire. “It is clear that this is a violation of the international law, and we condemn it in all its forms,” he said, adding that he was talking with his Israeli counterpart in Rome.
The IDF, meanwhile, said it had opened fire because the area was next to its base in Naqoura and because Hezbollah was firing rockets from the exact location in Israel. “The IDF operates in southern Lebanon and maintains routine communication with UNIFIL,” the IDF said in a statement. “As such, the IDF is aware of the presence of Hezbollah forces near its bases and has instructed the peacekeepers to remain in their protected spaces.”
Despite Israel’s intensified efforts to halt Hezbollah’s rocket fire into northern Israel, the possibility of a ceasefire seems remote. The conflict has already claimed hundreds of lives and displaced millions, according to Lebanese officials. The inability of the two sides to agree on a ceasefire, coupled with Israel’s offensive, has raised serious concerns about the potential for a regional conflict. Such a conflict could involve not only Iran and Syria but also the Lebanon-Israel border, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
Renewing his call for a ceasefire, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said a strike in the heart of Beirut late on Thursday had killed 22 civilians and wounded another 139. It was the most deadly attack on the city since Israel upped its airstrikes against Hezbollah as it pressed a military campaign in Gaza and sought to destroy Hezbollah’s rocket stockpiles in Lebanon. Mikati said there had been intense diplomatic communications ahead of a meeting with the U.N. Security Council on Thursday to discuss a possible ceasefire declaration for a limited period. “The United States and France are engaged in contacts to reach such a decision,” he told reporters. “Lebanon is in danger of a catastrophe, and it’s time to act.”
