UN Peacekeepers: Israel's Destruction of Our Property is a Violation of International Law

(Patria) - The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon stated that the "deliberate and direct destruction" of its property by the Israeli army is a "flagrant violation" of international law. The UN mission of 10,000 troops, known as UNIFIL, is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the "blue line" separating Lebanon from Israel, Reuters reported.

Since Israel launched a cross-border ground campaign against Hezbollah fighters in late September, UNIFIL has repeatedly accused the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of deliberately attacking its bases, including firing on peacekeepers and destroying guard posts.

Israel has denied that such incidents are deliberate attacks. Israel says UN troops are providing a human shield for Hezbollah fighters and has told UNIFIL to evacuate southern Lebanon for their own safety, which the UN force has refused.

In its latest accusation, UNIFIL said the IDF used excavators and bulldozers to destroy part of a fence and concrete structures at a UN peacekeeping position in southern Lebanon on Thursday. Peacekeepers also observed Israeli troops removing a barrier marking the blue line this week, the statement said.

"The deliberate and direct destruction of UNIFIL property by the IDF is a flagrant violation of international law and Resolution 1701," UNIFIL said, referring to a UN resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities in southern Lebanon following a previous war.

"Yesterday's incident, as well as seven other similar incidents, is not a matter of peacekeepers being caught in crossfire, but deliberate and direct actions by the IDF," UNIFIL stated.

They say UN forces will remain in Lebanon "despite the unacceptable pressure being exerted on the mission".

The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

The statement came a day after six Malaysian peacekeepers in a UN bus were injured when their vehicle crossed a checkpoint and was hit by an Israeli drone strike that killed three Lebanese in a nearby car.

On Friday evening, a series of Israeli strikes shook the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to Reuters witnesses, after Israel issued an evacuation order. The strikes destroyed entire buildings in the densely populated area, which most residents had already fled in recent weeks.

Separately, the Israeli military announced it had located a Hezbollah training center about 200 meters from a UNIFIL base in southern Lebanon, equipped with learning materials and large quantities of weapons. It said the facility, which has since been destroyed, contained launchers prepared to fire on Israeli communities.

A UNIFIL spokesperson said the Israeli military had not shared any information about the alleged Hezbollah installation.

Israel has accused UNIFIL forces of turning a blind eye while Hezbollah built a network of tunnels and other infrastructure near the border with northern Israel for over a decade, often within sight of their bases. They claim the infrastructure was part of Hezbollah's plan to carry out attacks on Israel similar to the October 7, 2023, attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

A UNIFIL spokesperson said UNIFIL had regularly reported suspicious locations to the Security Council. The UN Security Council has not asked UNIFIL to disarm any non-state armed group, including Hezbollah, the spokesperson said.