Israel’s attack to Unifil base camp in the South of Lebanon

Translated by Angela Tagliafierro

On October 10^th, 2024, an attack by the Israeli army hit the UNIFIL mission base in the south of the Lebanon; it involved two Italian base camps, as well. The Italian Minister of the Defence, Guido Crosetto, defined the Israeli action as inacceptable and summoned the Israeli ambassador to demand for an explanation about it.

Before the attack, Israel had encouraged the peacekeepers to move north for at least five kilometres to avoid them to be in the area of the fight between the Israeli forces and Hezbollah. However, the UNIFIL troops decided to stay since they consider their intermediation as crucial in an already stretched context. The UN has condemned the attack, defining it as “decided”, and reminded that whatever action against the peace forces may be made, it is a violation of the humanitarian International Law.

The UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, was introduced in 1978 and consists of more than 10000 soldiers coming from 46 countries aiming to monitor the truce along the Blue Line, the border between Israel and Lebanon historically characterized by tension and wars. The October-10^th Attack marked a new escalation: Israel used heavy weapons, a tank among them, Merkava, which destroyed an observation tower, injuring the Blue Helmets defending it. According to Andrea Tenenti’s declarations, spokesperson of the mission, the attack caused meaningful damages to the UNIFIL buildings, including cars and systems of communication, and raised worries about the security of the UN staff.

Due to the attack, the reactions were immediate and strong. Other than Italy, France, Spain and Ireland also condemned firmly the Israeli action. These countries, which contribute to the UNIFIL base camp, defined it a serious violation of the humanitarian International Law. Spain demanded for guarantees for the security of the peacekeeping troops, while France announced the will of summoning an emergency meeting with the main contributors to the UNIFIL mission to discuss the measures to adopt against the attack.

Israel justified the action affirming that the base was too near to Hezbollah, who is a direct threat to its operations. The Israeli authorities declared that Hezbollah hides weapons and military buildings in areas near to the UN basis. Despite the justifications given by Israel, the international community fears that the attack may become a dangerous precedent and undermine the efficacy and the security of the peacekeeping missions worldwide.

The situation is worsening because of the increasing tension between Israel and Hezbollah: in the last weeks violences have increased; Lebanon launched the missiles on the Israeli area and the IDF bombed the same area. The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and other international leaders expressed their concern for the security of the peacekeepers and encouraged a peaceful resolution of the controversy.

The Chief of the UN Department for the Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, declared that the security of the peacekeepers is at danger, now more than ever. He invited the Council of Security to support UNIFIL and find solutions to protect the soldiers in the south of Lebanon. The Italian government announced that it will keep participating in the mission but, at the same time, it may reconsider its position. Crosetto clarified that the withdrawal is not a national decision, but a possibility to discuss with the UN and the other contributors.

Meanwhile, the US expressed their concern for the Israeli attacks at the UNIFIL base camps, asking Tel Aviv to justify them and highlighting the importance of not putting the UN troops into danger through the operations against Hezbollah. The spokesperson of the Council of the national security of the White House reaffirmed the necessity of protect the peacekeepers and encouraged Israel to coordinate better with the UN to avoid further actions.

The tension along the Blue Line is rapidly declining and the attack to the UNIFIL base camp is a clear signal of a potential war expanding. The international community watches the situation worried and aware that an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah may start a new weaponed war between Lebanon, Israel, and the whole region.

Mondo Internazionale APS – Reproduction Reserved ® 2024