Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded Monday evening to accusations that the IDF has targeted UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon, calling these accusations "completely false."
"The charge that Israel deliberately attacked UNIFIL personnel is completely false," Netanyahu stated. "It's exactly the opposite. Israel repeatedly asks UNIFIL to get out of harm's way. It repeatedly asked them to temporarily leave the combat zone, which is right next to Israel's border with Lebanon."
"In fact," he said, "on the day that Israel began its ground operation next to our border with Lebanon, we asked them specifically, 'Please leave this area so you're not harmed.'"
Netanyahu declared that "Israel is not fighting UNIFIL, it is not fighting the people of Lebanon. It is fighting Iran's proxy Hezbollah, which uses Lebanese territory to attack Israel. Hezbollah attacked Israel last year without any provocation on October 8th, a day after the Hamas massacre, and it's continued to attack us ever since by launching over 10,000 rockets and missiles at Israel."
"Hezbollah uses UNIFIL facilities and positions as cover while it attacks Israeli cities and communities. These attacks have claimed the lives of many Israelis, including yesterday," he added.
"Israel has every right to defend itself against Hezbollah and will continue to do so," Netanyahu said. "We regret any harm done to UNIFIL personnel and the IDF is doing its utmost to prevent such incidents. But the best way to assure the safety of UNIFIL personnel is for UNIFIL to heed Israel's request and to temporarily get out of harm’s way."
On Sunday, Netanyahu appealed directly to UN Secretary Antonio Guterres to get UNIFIL's forces out of harm's way.
"Mr. Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm's way. It should be done right now, immediately," Netanyahu said.
Also on Sunday, the IDF revealed that over the past month, approximately 25 rockets and missiles have been launched at Israeli communities and IDF troops from Hezbollah’s terrorist compounds embedded near UNIFIL posts in southern Lebanon, exploiting their proximity to UN forces. One of the attacks resulted in the deaths of two IDF soldiers.
UNIFIL was tasked with ensuring the implementation of UN Security Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006. Under the terms of Resolution 1701, Hezbollah is supposed to disarmed and not operate south of the Litani River or on the Israeli border. UNIFIL has been accused of doing nothing as Hezbollah violated Resolution 1701 by building an estimated arsenal of 150,000 rockets, missiles, and attack drones with which to threaten Israel and by continuing to operate in full force south of the Litani River and prepare to attack Israel.