UN peacekeepers said Israeli fire on their headquarters in south Lebanon Thursday injured two Blue Helmets, sparking condemnation from European members of the mission.
Israel acknowledged its forces had opened fire in the area, saying the Hezbollah militants on whom it is waging an escalating war operate near UN posts.
Italy, a major contributor of troops to the force, said the acts “could constitute war crimes” while Washington said it was “deeply concerned.”
The incident came after the peacekeeping mission last week rejected Israeli demands to “relocate” from some of its positions.
UNIFIL, which has about 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah on September 23, after a year of cross-border fire.
“This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall,” the mission said, using an acronym for the Israeli military.
The peacekeepers did not suffer serious injuries, “but they remain in hospital,” it said.
A UNIFIL spokeswoman said they were from Indonesia, a major contributor of troops to UNIFIL.
Indonesia’s UN ambassador Hari Prabowo said the incident “clearly demonstrates how Israel positioned itself above international law, above impunity and above our shared values of peace.”
Israel said its military “opened fire in the area” of the UNIFIL base after telling UN forces to seek shelter.
Italy’s defence minister said the attack and other incidents UNIFIL blames on Israel “could constitute war crimes”, and asked for an explanation because “it was not a mistake”.
