Israeli tanks crash into gate of UN base in Lebanon

UNIFIL peacekeeping force said two Israeli Merkava tanks blew up the main gate of a base and entered before dawn on Sunday morning. After the tanks left, shells exploded 100 metres away, sending smoke billowing across the base in an attempt to intimidate UN staff.

"This was not an attack on the base. This was not an attempt to penetrate the base. This was a tank that was under heavy fire, causing mass casualties, and had to retreat to avoid danger," Israeli military international spokesman Nadav Shoshani explained to reporters.

Israeli battle tanks enter Lebanon from northern Israel. Photo: AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: "The time has come for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from combat zones... The IDF has repeatedly requested this and has been repeatedly refused...".

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement issued later on Sunday that Mr Guterres expressed gratitude to UNIFIL peacekeepers who “remained in place”, adding that “the UN flag continues to fly”.

"Attacks against peacekeepers are violations of international law, including international humanitarian law. They may constitute war crimes," said Mr. Dujarric.

UNIFIL said previous Israeli attacks on watchtowers, cameras, communications equipment and lighting had limited its surveillance capabilities.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, usually one of the most vocal supporters of Israel among Western European leaders, spoke by phone with her counterpart Netanyahu on Sunday and condemned the "unacceptable" Israeli attacks.

Italy has more than a thousand troops in the 10,000-strong UNIFIL force, making it one of the largest contributors. France and Spain, each with nearly 700 troops in the force, have also expressed displeasure at the Israeli attacks.

Israel's three-week assault on Hezbollah has displaced 1.2 million Lebanese and killed most of Hezbollah's senior leadership. The Lebanese government says more than 2,100 people have been killed and 10,000 wounded in more than a year of fighting between the two sides, mostly in the past few weeks.

Huy Hoang (according to Reuters, AP, CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/xe-tang-israel-huc-do-cong-can-cu-lien-hop-quoc-o-lebanon-cac-nuoc-ngay-cang-bat-binh-post316665.html