Unifil reports Israeli shots fired at UN mission watchtower in Lebanon

In the Israeli army’s fight against the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, a position of the UN peacekeeping mission Unifil has again come under fire. An Israeli tank shelled a Unifil watchtower near Kfar Kila in the south of the country, the UN mission said on Wednesday. The tower was damaged and two cameras were destroyed.

The statement went on to say that the shots were “direct and obviously deliberate.” They were therefore delivered by an Israeli Merkava tank.

In the escalating conflict between the Israeli army and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, the UN peacekeeping force there is increasingly finding itself caught between the fronts. Last week, five peacekeepers were injured during Israeli army operations in southern Lebanon, sparking international outrage.

The Unifil peacekeeping force has been stationed in Lebanon since 1978 and includes more than 10,000 soldiers and civilians. The European countries most heavily involved include Italy with a good 1,000 soldiers, Spain with around 680 and France with 670. The Bundeswehr is involved in the Unifil maritime task force, which is intended to prevent weapons smuggling by sea.