UN Observers Wounded in Southern Lebanon
BEIRUT — Amid rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, three United Nations observers and a translator were injured by shelling in Rmeish, southern Lebanon, according to the UN peacekeeping mission.
Lebanon’s state news agency attributed the explosion to an Israeli drone strike, a claim that the Israeli military refuted.
The UN mission, UNIFIL, stated that the injured individuals were receiving medical treatment and that they were investigating the source of the blast.
The incident occurred near the UN-demarcated Blue Line that separates southern Lebanon from Israel, where the group was on a foot patrol.
UNIFIL condemned the targeting of peacekeepers as “unacceptable”.
Details about the nationality of the observers or their current conditions have not been disclosed, although the Lebanese translator is reportedly in stable condition.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli drones were responsible for the attack, but Israel’s military denied any involvement, stating, “Contrary to the reports, the IDF did not strike a UNIFIL vehicle in the area of Rmeish this morning.”
Tensions have been escalating along the Israel-Lebanon border in recent days, with both sides experiencing casualties.
Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging strikes across the border since the start of the Israel-Gaza war, triggered by a Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia Muslim militant group with ties to Iran and Hamas, has been a key player in the conflict.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced plans to intensify attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon, declaring a shift from defense to offense against the group.
“Wherever they are hiding, we will reach them,” Gallant stated.
Meanwhile, the US has expressed concerns about Israel’s actions, particularly regarding a potential large-scale ground offensive in Rafah on Gaza’s border with Egypt.
President Joe Biden’s administration has raised alarms about civilian casualties in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation, with the UN warning of an imminent famine in the region.
Recent reports emerged of the IDF admitting to killing two Palestinian men and burying their bodies with a bulldozer in Gaza, citing suspicions of explosives. However, the authenticity of the video footage depicting the incidents has not been independently verified.
The Israeli military claimed that the men approached their forces in a suspicious manner and failed to respond to warnings, leading to their fatal encounter with the IDF.
As tensions continue to escalate in the region, the situation remains volatile and unpredictable. — BBC
