UN says Israeli tanks burst through gates of peacekeeper base

The United Nations said on Sunday Israeli tanks had burst through the gates of a base of its peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, the latest accusation of Israeli violations and attacks that have been denounced by Israel's own allies.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the United Nations to evacuate the troops of the UNIFIL peacekeeping force from combat areas in Lebanon.

Hours later, the force reported what it described as additional Israeli violations, including two Israeli Merkav tanks destroying the main gate of a base and forcibly entering before dawn that morning.

Soon after the tanks left, shells exploded 100 metres away, releasing smoke which blew across the base and sickened UN personnel, causing 15 to require treatment despite wearing gas masks, it said. It did not say who fired the shells or what sort of toxic substance it suspected. It also accused Israel's IDF military of halting a logistics convoy. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to the statement.

"Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Resolution 1701," the UN force said. "UNIFIL's mandate provides for its freedom of movement in its area of operations, and any restriction on this is a violation of Resolution 1701. We have requested an explanation from the IDF from these shocking violations."

In his earlier statement addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Netanyahu said: "The time has come for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hizbollah strongholds and from the combat zones."

Five peacekeepers have been wounded in a series of strikes in recent days, most blamed by UNIFIL on Israeli forces.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, typically one of Israel's most vocal supporters among Western European leaders, spoke to Netanyahu by phone on Sunday and denounced the "unacceptable" Israeli attacks, her government said.

Italy has more than a thousand troops in the 10,000-strong UNIFIL force, making it one of the biggest contributors of personnel. France and Spain, which each have nearly 700 soldiers in the force, have also condemned the Israeli attacks.

Reuters