UN peacekeepers say Israel's destruction of their property breaches international law

BEIRUT: The United Nations’ peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said on Friday that the Israeli military’s “deliberate and direct destruction” of its property was a “flagrant violation” of international law.

The 10,000-strong U.N. mission, known as UNIFIL, is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the “blue line” separating Lebanon from Israel.

Since Israel launched a ground campaign across the border against Hezbollah fighters at the end of September, UNIFIL has accused the Israel Defense Forces on several occasions of deliberately attacking its bases, including by shooting at peacekeepers and destroying watchtowers.

“The IDF’s deliberate and direct destruction of clearly identifiable UNIFIL property is a flagrant violation of international law and resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said, referring to a U.N. resolution that mandates a cessation of hostilities in southern Lebanon after a previous war.

“Yesterday’s incident, like seven other similar incidents, is not a matter of peacekeepers getting caught in the crossfire, but of deliberate and direct actions by the IDF,” UNIFIL said.

It said the U.N. force would remain in Lebanon “despite the unacceptable pressures being exerted on the mission”.

The strikes brought down entire buildings in the dense neighborhood that most residents have left in the past weeks.

The UNIFIL spokesperson said UNIFIL has regularly reported suspicious locations to the Security Council. The U.N. Security Council has not asked UNIFIL to disarm any non-state armed groups including Hezbollah, the spokesperson said.