Netanyahu asks UN chief to move peacekeepers out of Lebanon

Israel has called for the removal of the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in southern Lebanon in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as the ‘simplest and most logical way’.

Netanyahu on Sunday, in a video addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the time has come to remove UNIFIL from Hezbollah’s strongholds and the combat zones.

“Mr Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm`s way. It should be done right now, immediately.” Netanyahu said in English during his address, which was done in Hebrew.

His call comes after at least five UN peacekeepers were wounded in the fighting between the Israeli military and Hezbollah in recent days.

UNIFIL said new explosions hit its headquarters Friday, injuring two peacekeepers a day after Israeli forces targeted the same position and struck central Beirut.

Earlier, the UN force accused Israeli soldiers of deliberately targeting the UNIFIL mission’s Naqoura base, leaving many peacekeepers injured.

The attacks have led to widespread condemnation, with the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, demanding accountability from Israel and European Council President Charles Michel calling on all sides to respect international humanitarian law.

About forty countries have also strongly condemned recent Israeli attacks on the UN mission in Lebanon.

Netanyahu, in his Sunday address, expressed regret for “the harm caused to UNIFIL soldiers.”.

“We are doing everything in our power to prevent this harm. But the simplest and most logical way to ensure this is simply to get them out of the danger zone,” Netanyahu added.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued to hit multiple areas in southern and eastern Lebanon this weekend.

A 100-year-old mosque in the centre of the village of Kfar Tibnit, near the border, was hit on Sunday, local media reported.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, more than 1,400 people have been killed since mid-September, when Israeli forces began their ground operations in southern Lebanon, aided by increased airstrikes.