Beirut, Lebanon:
The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon UNIFIL said Israeli tank fire on its headquarters in the country’s south on Thursday wounded two of its members, as Israeli troops battle Hezbollah militants on the border.
“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 force said, using an acronym for the Israeli military.
“The injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain in hospital,” it said, adding that “UNIFIL’s Naqura headquarters and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit”.
According to UNIFIL, the Israeli military also hit another position in Ras Naqura on Thursday.
The peacekeeping force said it hit “the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system”.
“An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance,” it said.
UNIFIL, which has some 10,000 peacekeepers stationed in south Lebanon, has called for a ceasefire since an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on September 23.
On Wednesday, “IDF soldiers deliberately fired at and disabled the position’s perimeter-monitoring cameras,” it added.
“They also deliberately fired on (a site) where regular tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a relay station.”
“We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times,” it said.
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