Hezbollah says Israel trying to use UN peacekeepers as human shields
In a statement attributed to a field office, the Lebanese group says the Israeli military is engaging in “unusual activities” near a UNIFIL base in the village of Maroun al-Ras.
According to Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen news channel, the field office commander said Hezbollah fighters were asked to not engage Israeli forces in the area to protect the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.
“The Israeli enemy is trying to take UNIFIL forces as human shields to cover up its failure to advance towards the village, especially after repeated failed attempts from several fronts,” the statement said.
IDF soldiers refuse to leave the area
Mr Tenenti, who is in Beirut, told RTÉ that efforts are being made in New York to deal with the Israeli permanent mission to the UN in order to get IDF soldiers to move away from the area as their presence compromises the safety of UNIFIL troops.
The IDF refuse to leave the area, the [UN] Security Council will now have to decide how to move forward, Mr Tenenti added.
Mr Tenenti explained that troops at the outpost have supplies for a couple of weeks and a convoy is heading to the area and de-escalate the situation.
He said there is also concern for troops from other countries as there are 29 other positions that are based near the “blue line”.
Drawn by the United Nations, the Blue Line is the 120km demarcation line where Israeli pulled back to when they left south Lebanon in 2000.