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What odds there was something or someone Hezbollah sheltered near the UNIFIL patrol, and that was what the IDF was aiming for? [IsraelTimes] The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) claims that an Israeli drone dropped a grenade near one of its patrols earlier today, and an Israeli tank fired toward the observers.
“This afternoon, at about 5:45 p.m., an Israeli drone came close to a UNIFIL patrol operating near Kfar Kila and dropped a grenade. Moments later, an Israeli tank fired a shot towards the peacekeepers,” UNIFIL says.
The observer force says that no damage or injuries were caused in the incident.
UNIFIL says that earlier, another Israeli drone flew over its patrol “in an aggressive manner.” It adds that “the peacekeepers applied necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralize the drone.”
“These actions by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are in violation of Security Council resolution 1701 and Lebanon’s sovereignty, and show disregard for the safety and security of the peacekeepers implementing Security Council-mandated tasks in southern Lebanon,” UNIFIL says.
There is no immediate comment from the IDF on the UNIFIL claims.
Earlier this month, UNIFIL twice accused the IDF of dropping grenades near its observers, including one incident in which an observer was lightly hurt.
In both of those incidents, the IDF said it had attempted to disperse Hezbollah activity, with no intention to harm the UNIFIL observers.
Israel has long argued that the observer force had failed in its mission, doing little to block Hezbollah from building up its forces near the Israeli border over decades.
An Israeli military drone was shot down by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) during a routine surveillance mission in the Kafr Kila area on Sunday, the military said Monday.
According to an IDF statement, the drone had posed no threat to the UNIFIL observers, who opened fire on the device and downed it on Sunday.
The IDF said that after the UAV was shot down by UNIFIL, it flew another drone over the area, which dropped a grenade, apparently to prevent people from approaching the site of the downed drone.
“An Israeli drone came close to a UNIFIL patrol operating near Kfar Kila and dropped a grenade. Moments later, an Israeli tank fired a shot towards the peacekeepers,” UNIFIL said in a statement.
“These actions by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are in violation of Security Council resolution 1701 and Lebanon’s sovereignty, and show disregard for the safety and security of the peacekeepers implementing Security Council-mandated tasks in southern Lebanon,” UNIFIL said.
However, the IDF denied the accusation and said that no gunfire was directed toward the UNIFIL observers.
The Israeli army additionally said the incident was under further investigation “through the military liaison channel.”
Earlier this month, UNIFIL twice accused the IDF of dropping grenades near its observers, including one incident in which an observer was lightly hurt.
In both of those incidents, the IDF said it had attempted to disperse Hezbollah activity, with no intention to harm the UNIFIL observers.
Israel has long argued that the observer force has failed in its mission, doing little to block Hezbollah from building up its forces near the Israeli border over decades.
| And soon Israel is to allow another such UN force in Gaza? Were I in charge, I certainly should not allow such a threat on two borders at once — it would go far to ensure the achievement of all the war aims of Iran’s Mullahs with no effort on their part whatsoever. |
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