Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has urged the United Nations to withdraw its peacekeeping forces from southern Lebanon, claiming they are being used as “human shields” by Hezbollah group. His call to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres follows the wounding of five UN peacekeepers amid ongoing conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah.
In a video statement released on Sunday, Netanyahu said: “Mr Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately.” He explained that the Israeli military had made multiple requests for the peacekeepers to leave, arguing that their presence unintentionally shields Hezbollah fighters.
Netanyahu also expressed concern for the safety of UNIFIL personnel, stating, “Your refusal to evacuate the UNIFIL soldiers makes them hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers.” He added that while Israel regrets any harm to peacekeepers, the simplest way to ensure their safety is their withdrawal from the area.
Despite Israel’s insistence on the withdrawal of the peacekeepers, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has refused to withdraw from the border region. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti emphasized that maintaining a presence is vital to upholding international peace efforts and providing reports to the UN Security Council.
Tenenti told AFP that Israel asked UNIFIL to withdraw from positions up to five kilometres (three miles) from the Blue Line, but the peacekeepers refused. The UN mission currently operates 29 positions across southern Lebanon.
Established in 1978 after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, UNIFIL now consists of around 9,500 troops from various countries and monitors the ceasefire that ended the 33-day conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.
Over 40 countries contributing to UNIFIL condemned recent attacks on the peacekeepers, issuing a joint statement calling for an immediate end to such actions and urging thorough investigations. The statement, posted on X by Poland’s UN mission, was backed by Indonesia, Italy, India, and other major contributors.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati criticized Netanyahu’s call for UNIFIL’s withdrawal, describing it as a departure from international norms. Netanyahu responded, arguing that the focus should be on Hezbollah, not Israel. He compared the situation to Gaza, where he claimed Hamas uses the UN agency UNRWA as a shield, and accused the UN of similar cooperation there.