The two soldiers who were hurt on Thursday were injured after an Israeli tank fired toward a UNIFIL observation tower. The duo who sustained injuries on Friday were wounded “after two explosions occurred close to an observation tower,” UNIFIL said in a statement.
“This is a serious development, and UNIFIL reiterates that the safety and security of U.N. personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of U.N. premises must be respected at all times,” UNIFIL said, adding that “any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law.”
Italy summoned Israel’s ambassador on Thursday, while France did so on Friday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) responded on X to both incidents. On Thursday, it noted that Hezbollah operates near both civilian and UNIFIL positions and said it “maintains routine communication with UNIFIL.” Responding to the reports of the two wounded soldiers on Friday, the IDF said in a statement that the incident took place when its soldiers responded to a “threat” located about 50 meters away from a UNIFIL post. The Israeli military added that it had “instructed UNIFIL personnel to enter into protected spaces and remain there.”
But demanding that an international force dedicated to preserving peace in a geopolitical hotspot move to facilitate a military invasion is highly inflammatory. Irish President Michael Higgins called such a move “outrageous,” while Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on Thursday said the peacekeepers will stay where they are.
“We will never be the ones to move because someone tells us, by force, to move,” Crosetto said.