US aid in danger?
Israel: UNIFIL soldiers “not targets” for military
Following repeated violence against soldiers of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Israeli army has assured that the UN blue helmets are "not a target" for the military. The Israeli armed forces would carry out operations in the south of Lebanon against the "terrorist organization Hezbollah", the army declared on Wednesday.
"UNIFIL infrastructure and forces are not a target and any irregular incident will be thoroughly investigated."
Wounded blue helmet soldiers caused outrage
In the escalating conflict between the Israeli army and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, the UN peacekeeping force there is increasingly caught between the fronts. Last week, five UN peacekeepers were injured during Israeli army operations in southern Lebanon, triggering international outrage. On Wednesday, UNIFIL announced that an Israeli tank had fired "direct and obviously deliberate shots" at a UN peacekeeping mission position.
The UNIFIL peacekeeping force has been stationed in Lebanon since 1978 and comprises around 10,000 soldiers and civilians. Austria is involved in the mission with 160 soldiers.
Pentagon insists on protection for UNIFIL soldiers
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin called on Israel to protect UNIFIL soldiers in southern Lebanon. In a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Galant, Austin emphasized the importance of taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety and protection of UNIFIL troops and the Lebanese armed forces, the Pentagon announced.
US military aid to Israel at risk?
In addition, Austin once again called on Israel to take measures to alleviate the suffering of the people in the Gaza Strip. He encouraged the Israeli government to take further steps to improve the appalling humanitarian situation, the Pentagon announced. On Tuesday, the US government had already called on Israel to significantly improve the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip within 30 days. Failure to do so could result in a violation of US military assistance laws - which could potentially also jeopardize American military aid to Israel.
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