Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the United Nations to evacuate peacekeepers from “danger zones” in Lebanon immediately.
Mr Netanyahu said the Israeli military had asked the United Nations (UN) to evacuate the soldiers repeatedly, adding that their presence in the area made them hostages of Hezbollah.
A series of strikes have hit peacekeeping positions and personnel in recent days, most of them blamed by the UN’s UNIFIL peacekeeping force on Israeli forces, drawing condemnation from the UN and several foreign nations. A total of five peacekeepers have been wounded.
In a direct appeal to the UN’s Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Mr Netanyahu added: “The simple and obvious way to ensure this is simply to get them out of the danger zone.
“Mr secretary general, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately.”
Meanwhile, Hezbollah denies Israel’s accusation that it treats the peacekeepers as hostages and says Israel wants them to leave so they cannot serve as a check on the Israeli cross-border campaign.
In response Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned Netanyahu that attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon are unacceptable, her office said on Sunday afternoon.
“Prime Minister Meloni reiterated the unacceptability of UNIFIL being attacked by Israeli armed forces,” the Italian government said in a statement.
Italy is a significant contributor to the UN mission known as UNIFIL.
In a phone conversation with Mr Netanyahu, Ms Meloni also called for the “full implementation” of the UN’s Security Council Resolution 1701 on Lebanon and stressed the urgent need for a de-escalation of conflict in the region, her office said.
US officials believe Israel has narrowed down targets in its potential response to Iran’s attack this month to military and energy infrastructure, according to reports.
The Middle East remains on high alert for further escalation as the conflict intensifies between Israel and Iran-backed groups Hezbollah and Hamas.
Tehran, a major oil producer, has threatened Israel with severe consequences if the Islamic Republic is attacked.
Israel has repeatedly said it will respond to Iran’s missile barrage on October 1, which was launched in retaliation for Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Lebanon and the killings of a string of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.
There is no indication that Israel will target nuclear facilities or carry out assassinations, the NBC report said, citing unnamed US officials and adding that Israel has not made final decisions about how and when to act.
US and Israeli officials said a response could come during the current Yom Kippur holiday, according to the report. Israeli officials have not publicly commented on the report.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants erupted a year ago when Hezbollah began launching rockets at northern Israel at the start of the Gaza war, and has sharply escalated in recent weeks.Israel’s military said it continues to operate in southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure.
“Over the past day, the IAF (air force) has struck approximately 200 Hezbollah targets deep in Lebanon and southern Lebanon, including terrorist cells, launchers, anti-tank missile posts, and terrorist infrastructure sites,” it said.
Israel also said five launches that crossed from Lebanon were intercepted by the air force.
The Israeli military added in a statement on Sunday that one of its reservists and an officer were severely injured in two separate incidents during combat in southern Lebanon, with additional soldiers suffering light to moderate injuries.
The Israeli military also said that it captured a Hezbollah militant in southern Lebanon after discovering an underground tunnel leading to a hideout, where they found an area with weapons and supplies for extended use.
Hezbollah announced a rocket strike on the Tirat HaCarmel transport base in southern Haifa, in a statement on Sunday.
