Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has accused the United Nations’ UNIFIL peacekeepers in south Lebanon of being a “useless” force that failed to protect Israelis from Hezbollah attacks and called on it to withdraw as fighting ramps up.
According to the minister, the State of Israel will do everything to ensure the safety of its citizens, and if the UN cannot help, at least it should not interfere, and move its personnel from the combat zones.
Israel and the United Nations have been trading accusations over the peacekeepers in south Lebanon, as Israel pushes its forces through the area in an attempt to wipe out Iran-backed Hezbollah and its military infrastructure.
The U.N. said Israeli tanks had burst into its base on Sunday, the latest allegations of Israeli violations against peacekeeping forces, that have been condemned by Hezbollah and by Israel’s allies.
Israel disputed the U.N. account and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the peacekeepers to withdraw, saying they were providing “human shields” for Hezbollah during an upsurge in hostilities.
The UNIFIL peacekeeping force said two Israeli Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate of a base and forcibly entered before dawn on Sunday. After the tanks left, shells exploded 100 metres (yards) away, releasing smoke which blew across the base and sickened U.N. personnel, it said in a statement.
The Middle East, meanwhile, remains on high alert for Israel to retaliate against Iran for an Oct. 1 barrage of long-range missiles launched in response to Israel’s assaults on Lebanon.
The Pentagon said on Sunday it would send U.S. troops to Israel along with an advanced U.S. anti-missile system, as Israel weighs its expected retaliation against Iran.
Hezbollah denies it uses the proximity of peacekeepers for protection.
The Israeli military took foreign journalists into southern Lebanon on Sunday and showed them a Hezbollah tunnel shaft that was less than 200 metres away (650 feet) from a UNIFIL position, as well as weapon stashes that the troops found.
Brigadier General Yiftach Norkin said the tunnels were built a few years ago.
“We are actually standing in a military base of Hezbollah very close to the to the U.N.,” Norkin said, pointing to the shaft’s trap door in an area covered by undergrowth and overlooked by a U.N. observation post.
Since announcing its ground operation near the border, the Israeli military says that it has destroyed dozens of Hezbollah tunnel shafts, rocket launchers and command posts.
