Move peacekeepers in Lebanon out of ‘harm’s way’, Netanyahu tells UN

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. file | Photo Credit: AP

On the day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the United Nations (UN) chief to remove peacekeepers deployed in south Lebanon from “harm’s way”, he said Hezbollah used them as “human shields”, Iran’s foreign minister vowed that there is “no red line” for the country to defend its people and interests while Iran awaits Israel’s response to the October 1 missile attack.

Mr Netanyahu’s appeal to UN chief Antonio Guterres comes a day after the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) refused to withdraw from the border area despite five of its members being injured amid recent fighting. “Mr. Secretary-General, move UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. This must be done now, immediately,” he said in a video statement.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is visiting Baghdad to discuss the war in Gaza and Lebanon, wrote on Twitter: “Although we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to prevent an all-out war in our region, I clearly I tell you that we have no red line to protect our people and interests.”

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In Jerusalem, speaking before a Cabinet meeting, Mr Netanyahu said Israeli forces had repeatedly asked UNIFIL to leave, but it had “repeatedly refused”. “Your refusal to evacuate UNIFIL troops makes them hostages of Hezbollah. This poses a threat to both their lives and those of our soldiers,” he said.

“We regret the harm caused to UNIFIL soldiers and we are doing our best to prevent such harm. But the simplest and most obvious way to ensure this is to simply withdraw them from the danger zone,” he said.

UNIFIL has refused to abandon its positions in southern Lebanon. Its spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said AFP Saturday said that “the unanimous decision to stay was taken because it is important to still fly the UN flag high in the region and to be able to report to the Security Council”. He said Israel had asked UNIFIL to withdraw from positions “to five kilometers beyond the Blue Line” separating the two countries, but the peacekeepers refused.

UNIFIL, a mission of approximately 9,500 soldiers of various nationalities, was created following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1978. It is currently tasked with monitoring the ceasefire that ended the 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

Forty countries that contribute to UNIFIL said on Saturday they “strongly condemn the recent attacks” on peacekeepers. “Such actions must stop immediately and be adequately investigated,” said the joint statement posted on X by the Polish UN mission and signed by countries including key contributors Indonesia, Italy and India.

Mr Netanyahu said criticism of Israel was wrong and should be directed at Hezbollah. Regarding the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, he said, “Instead of criticizing Israel, they should direct their criticism towards Hezbollah, which uses UNIFIL as a human shield, just as Hamas in Gaza uses UNRWA as a human shield. Uses as a shield.”

In January, Israel accused a dozen UNRWA Gaza staff of involvement in an October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. A series of investigations found some “neutrality-related issues” at UNRWA, and determined that nine staff “may have been involved” in the attack.

Mr Araghchi was in Baghdad to meet Iraqi officials. Ali al-Moussawi, political advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, told AFP Mr Araghchi’s visit was part of a diplomatic effort to “disarm weapons and violence… and establish security and stability in the region”.

In a recent interview, Mr. Araghchi said Iran “doesn’t want war” but that it “is not afraid of it.” Iran fired 200 missiles at Israel on October 1 in what it said was retaliation for the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders in the region and a general from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant vowed that Israel’s response would be “deadly, precise and surprising”.

Iranian ISNA news agency reported that after Baghdad the minister would visit Oman.