New York, 15 October 2024 (dpa/MIA) - UN peacekeepers will remain in Lebanon despite Israeli calls for them to withdraw, said the head of UN peacekeeping operations on Monday, as the UN Security Council criticized recent attacks on the forces.

"A decision was made that UNIFIL will currently stay in all its positions, in spite of the calls that were made by the Israeli forces to vacate the positions that were in the vicinity of the blue line," said the head of UN peacekeeping operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

UNIFIL is the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. They have been monitoring the border area between Israel and Lebanon for decades. More than 10,000 UN soldiers from over 50 countries are involved, including the German army or Bundeswehr.

In the fighting between the Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah, the peacekeepers have been repeatedly under fire in recent days. Lacroix said five soldiers were injured in the clashes. In addition, Israeli tanks forcibly broke through the main gate of a UN base in southern Lebanon.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently called for the immediate withdrawal of the peacekeepers from the combat zone in southern Lebanon. "It is time to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and combat areas," said Netanyahu, according to his office, directly addressing UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Members of the UN Security Council on Monday criticized recent attacks on the blue helmets in southern Lebanon.

The members "urged all parties to respect the safety and security of UNIFIL personnel and UN premises," said Swiss Ambassador to the UN Pascale Baeriswyl, acting president of the UN Security Council, on behalf of all 15 members.

"They recall that UN peacekeepers and UN premises must never be the target of an attack."

Israel accuses the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia of using areas near UNIFIL bases for their own purposes.

In view of the fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the UN Security Council expressed its concern about civilian casualties, the destruction of infrastructure and the increasing number of internally displaced persons.

"[The UN Security Council members] called on all parties to abide by international humanitarian law," said Baeriswyl.

Photo: EPA