The UN Interim Force in Lebanon said in a statement that UNIFIL’s Naqora headquarters and its surrounding areas had come under repeated shelling.
It was reported that on Thursday morning, the Israeli army opened fire through a Merkava tank on an observation post located at the Nakora headquarters, injuring two peacekeepers. A peacekeeper stationed at this observation tower fell down and was injured by the bullet.
The UN mission said he was not seriously injured, but would need to stay in hospital for some time.
The UN peacekeeping mission is deployed to ensure stability in southern Lebanon and was given additional mandates by the Security Council in 2006.
UNIFIL notes that any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701.
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The Blue Line area of southern Lebanon has been the scene of large-scale attacks and shelling in recent days, with extensive damage to homes and villages. At the same time, rocket attacks by the armed group Hezbollah are targeting Israeli cities.
Repeated attacks
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli soldiers opened fire and disabled cameras used by the UN mission for surveillance.
In addition, Israeli forces reportedly attacked another site where tripartite meetings were held before a fresh round of violent clashes erupted.
According to the UN mission, in the past few days Israel has launched an offensive in Nakora and other areas of Lebanon and ground clashes have taken place between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters.
Israeli troops also fired on bunkers used by UN peacekeepers to take shelter in Naqora, damaging vehicles and communications equipment.
The deployment of UN peacekeepers at the entrance to the bunker was reportedly being monitored by drones.
The UN mission said all parties, including the Israeli military, have been reminded of their responsibility to protect UN personnel and premises at all times. In this regard, communication is being maintained with the Israeli army.