Attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon are ‘unacceptable’, says Italy’s Meloni | Israel attacks Lebanon News

Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni has called for the strengthening of the United Nations peacekeeping team in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, during his visit to Beirut.

The Prime Minister condemned the attack on UNIFIL, whose forces have been targeted by Israeli forces in recent weeks.

“Only by strengthening UNIFIL while maintaining its impartiality will we be able to turn the page,” said Meloni when he held a news conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday.

“I repeat that I think that targeting UNIFIL is unacceptable,” he added, referring to Israeli attacks involving the army’s positions and soldiers. “I also ask that all parties strive to ensure at all times that the safety of each troop is guaranteed.”

Meloni, considered a strong ally of Israel, is the first head of state or government to visit Lebanon since tensions flared between Israel and Hezbollah last month. He said that after his visit to Beirut, he will have talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Italy has about 1,000 peacekeepers working in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, which has been attacked again by Israeli forces.

Five peacekeepers were injured in the incidents that took place last week. Recently, the UN forces accused the Israeli army of breaking the gate into one of its areas.

Meloni and Mikati agreed that the official solution must come before violence, said Mikati during the press conference.

“What happened today is a lesson for all Lebanese people not to get involved in regional conflicts,” said Mikati.

A ‘deliberate’ attack on UNIFIL

Earlier on Friday, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said the peacekeeping forces are no longer maintaining their positions even though there is a “need” to withdraw from the Israeli army.

“We have been targeted many times, five times under deliberate attack,” he said via video link from Beirut.

Tenenti said a unanimous decision was taken by the 50 countries participating in UNIFIL and the UN Security Council to hold their positions and continue efforts to monitor the conflict and ensure that aid reaches the people.

The Israeli military has “repeatedly targeted our areas, endangering the safety of our soldiers, in addition to Hezbollah launching rockets at Israel from close to our areas, which also endangers the peacekeepers”, he added.

Tenenti said the deterioration of security in recent weeks due to fighting between Hezbollah and Israeli forces has forced UNIFIL, which has about 10,000 personnel, to suspend most, but not all, of its patrols along the Lebanon-Israel border, also known as the Blue Line. .

“Currently we see hundreds of roads, and sometimes more, crossing the Blue Line every day, forcing our guards to spend extra hours in the shelters to ensure their safety, which is our priority,” he said.

A new phase of war?

Meanwhile, the war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, which entered southern Lebanon more than two weeks ago, continued.

The Lebanese group said on Friday it was entering a new phase in the fight against the Israeli army, saying that its forces were operating “according to plans prepared in advance” to fight the militants in several areas in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah added that it had introduced new weapons in recent days.

A statement from the group’s headquarters said Hezbollah fighters used new types of rockets and explosives for the first time.

A short time later, the Israeli army said it was calling another army team to work in northern Israel.

Hezbollah also said it launched an attack “with a group of drones on enemy military bases in the besieged city of Safed” in northern Israel after attacks on villages in southern Lebanon.

It pledged continued “support” for the Palestinian people after the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.

Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel for more than a year in cooperation with the Palestinians in the besieged and bombed Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said, more than 2,000 people have been killed across the country in Israeli attacks. More than a million people have been displaced from their towns and villages in eastern and southern Lebanon.