As the Israeli invasion of Lebanon escalates, it has been reported that on Sunday morning Israeli tanks smashed their way into a UN peacekeeper base in southern Lebanon near Ramia. Exactly why they decided to force their way into a UNIFIL base, which is of course a violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, is not at all clear.
Reports from the ground are that the two Merkava tanks forced their way in while the UNIFIL personnel were in shelters. They demanded that the base shut off all lights. They remained inside the compound for around 45 minutes, and left after the UN filed a protest through liaisons.
That wasn’t the end of it, either, as two hours after the Israeli tanks left, they fired an unidentified smoke munition just north of the UN position. The UNIFIL personnel were wearing gas masks, but 15 of them were still reported to have sustained skin irritation or gastrointestinal symptoms when the smoke reach their base. They are receiving medical treatment.
This is in addition to around five UN peacekeepers who have been reported injured over the last week since the Israeli invasion of the area. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that they are “doing everything in our power” to prevent UN injuries, but added this to demands that the UN immediately withdraw all their peacekeepers from the “danger zone.”
The UNIFIL was established in 1978, and was meant to tamp down violence in southern Lebanon. They peacekeepers’ mandate was changed several times to adjust to Israeli invasions of the area, and its mandate was substantially increased to try to restore Lebanese sovereignty to southern Lebanon after the 2006 Israeli invasion.
Lebanese PM Najib Mikati has issued a statement today condemning Israeli attacks on the UNIFIL forces, saying it represents a new chapter in Israel not complying with international norms.
Israel is crossing many fine lines in the region and we would suggest that the US reign in our friend a bit…Attacking UN Peace Keepers is entirely out of line! And must end!
Israel behaves like a spoiled, rotten child and enough is enough. They must be held to account!
No, Israel behaves like a Jeffrey Dahmer. Murder, decapitation, mayhem, all matter of horrible things.
Shooting Palestinian children in the head. Dropping 2000 pound bombs on hospitals and schools.
Israel is competing with NAZI Germany and Pol Pot and the Kmer Rouge.
This war is a direct result of the Oct 7 pogrom-release the hostages,end the war.
History didn't start on Oct 7.
No it did not start on Oct 7. I think history started around 2000 BC. However, this war started on Oct 7. And the losses in Gaza are a direct result of Oct 7.
Do the various instances of Israel "cutting the grass" not count as war? How many bombing campaigns has Israel conducted in Gaza since the 2005 "withdrawal"?
The losses in Gaza are a direct result of an apartheid/terrorist state having the full blessing of the superpower to carry out a genocide on the Palestinians in Gaza and making a decision to do just that.
Israel been illegally colonizing Palestine since 1967. Palestine has the right to defend itself. Not to mention people across the Israeli political spectrum been calling Gaza Israel's "concentration camp" since the early 2000s.
Maybe shift your focus towards talking to Israelis, trying to get them to change their policy of systematically targeting civilians and UN officials.
Just for urgently needed clarity – are you a Young Earth Creationist ???
It's the result oof over 75 years of ethnic cleansing, brutal military occupation, dispositions, apartheid and racism.
That's true but don't forget that Hamas was used by Zionists for undermining Palestinian democracy. Hamas together with ISIS, Israel and NATO participated in the war against Syria. Besides, as we know, October 7 attack wasn't approved by Hamas' headquarters. It is highly likely that October 7 attack was organized by Zionists themselves with participation of a radical branch of Hamas. At least, Israel did nothing to stop it. Several hours they were just sitting and watching. Many Israeli civilians were killed by Israeli troops. Then a lot of fake stories about beheaded babies etc. appeared and Israel started a genocidal war against Palestine targeting women, children and civil infrastructure.
They don't give two shits about the hostages. Never have. They do care about this:
Haaretz: Israeli Government Done With Ceasefire Talks, Seeks Annexation of Gaza
And you know this because it's been their goal since they allowed Oct 7th to happen. But once more with your pithy bullshit comment that no one is buying.
Jake,
you do realize the IDF is losing militarily. 30% of Israelis polled believe the war is already lost.
Israel has been a sociopathic state since 1948. October 7th was their causes belli to do what it has always planned…why do you think that employed a mass hannibal directive and murdered hundreds of their own citizens with US helicopter gunships…duh…They wanted October 7th…period..they do not care about killing their own…
I don't think there was a "pogrom-release" on that date – whatever on Earth a "pogrom-release" even is.
Maybe they allowed a few prisoners to escape the concentration camp to give themselves a justification for a pogrom? It's hard to tell with hasbara-spewers.
I know. Sucks; Hasbro usta make great toys when I was a kid. They own D&D now but that franchise has slid some.
Israel is just following the example of its puppet master who has never been held to account for Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Kosovo, Vietnam, etc. and all the US caused regime changes since WWII… 56 and counting
Do UN peacekeepers keep Hez from infiltrating Israel,or firing rockets into Israel?-hell no!
Yes of course, UN peacekeepers are terrorists. Resolution 1701 is an antisemitic plot. Clearly. Equally self-evidently true as having a brain that works is antisemitic.
I'm not sure what the UN peacekeepers are supposed to do. But what they did not do is prevent Lebanon from starting a war with Israel.
And the US didn't prevent Israel from carrying out a genocide in Gaza. So, even if you ignore Hezbollah's and the Houthi's intentions, Israel is still the king of terrorists. Bar none.
"Hezbollah was founded in 1982 by Lebanese clerics in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon."
Israel been illegally colonizing West Asia since 1967. Those countries have the right to self defense. Israel should stop its policy of targeting civilians in order to steal their land.
Attention U.N. members, your membership is a scam.
Thank you.
I know just what you mean. The inaction by the members of the UN is deafening. The line for enough to be enough was crossed months ago.
If the U.S. vetoes action determined necessary by the General Council, the Council should tell the U.S. to pound sand, or sanction the U.S. for being complicit in the genocide.
Period…
Unfortunately I think sanction measures have to be approved by the Security Council to be legal. (Not that the US sanctions on 47 countries and the gods-only-know how many individuals and corporations have ever passed the Security Council…)
Israel doesn't want any one to witness their actions.
It is more than that. It is a systematic destruction of the international laws and replacing them with by the "rules" which never were published and which are interpreted exclusively by U.S. and Israeli elites.
Crimes.
"The world now sees Israel as the genocidal apartheid state that it has always been but has somehow fooled us all into believing it didn't exist. And they see America as a nation that has totally lost touch with its founding principles: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.
If that's truly what America stands for—statements written by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence—then why do we support a nation that commits genocide, that's an apartheid state, that thinks it's okay to kill women and children by the thousands as part of collective punishment in total disregard for international law?"
https://chuckbaldwinlive.com/Articles/tabid/109/ID/4644/The-World-Now-Sees-Israel-As-The-Genocidal-Apartheid-State-That-It-Has-Always-Been.aspx
The problem is that those "founding principles" accepted the slavery as normal, and apartheid, of course, too. Those principles were already a great diversion from Christian ideals.
They were still the most liberal of any European-descended government at the time. Now we're possibly the most conservative.
The US and Israel target the UN because it is an effective vehicle for exposing what those countries are doing. Hence the UN's recommendation last week that Israel "immediately cease targeting of medical facilities, staff and vehicles and cease the military use of medical facilities" and "immediately end the unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory, cease all new settlement plans and activities, including in relation to the Gaza Strip, and remove all settlements as rapidly as possible."
The US and Israel's response: shoot UN staff.
https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/262/79/pdf/n2426279.pdf
Last time Israel invaded Lebanon they used artillery to kill the UN soldiers at an outpost, because those soldiers would have witnessed the Israeli murder of civilians by artillery in a nearby village.
They also fired a US-supplied missile at a Red Cross ambulance, hitting the roof right in the middle of the cross, to show their hatred of Christianity.
Israel is the only country that doesn't use the plus sign in addition, because it looks like a cross, instead using a plus sign with the bottom part removed.
They wrote "Death to Christians" on the walls of vandalized churches in Jerusalem last year, as their fanaticism intensified. They attacked Christian missionaries who handed out pamphlets, while the police did nothing. And every year on Easter, they line up to shout insults and spit at the Greek Orthodox priests who march through Golgotha. They spit at the large wooden cross the priests carry.
"Our greatest ally." "God's Chosen."
The UN will soon go the wat of The League Of Nations. NATO could be next for extinction.
When NATO dies it will be the US who killed it. The economies of Europe are teetering because of the stupidities the US has forced its allies to commit. Meanwhile Turkey sits on the sidelines giggling.
This was coming since Israel has always hated International law, and being made to respect any law for that matter. The demise of this state is in the hands of Israel. We are watching a slow suicide of a state so drunk on its own hubris, and sociopathy that it cannot see what is coming.
The world at large will end Israel the way apartheid South Africa was ended. We must never tolerate those who embrace genocide, and enjoy all of its sick trappings…