
United Nations peacekeepers will maintain their positions in Lebanon despite Israeli calls for their withdrawal, the UN peacekeeping chief said Monday (Oct 14). This comes as Israel in an airstrike on Northern Lebanon killed at least 21 people.
In a statement, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said, "The decision was made that UNIFIL would currently stay in all its positions in spite of the calls that were made by the Israel Defense Forces to vacate the positions that are in the vicinity of the Blue Line."
He said that the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has confirmed the plans,"I want to emphasise that this decision still remains."
This comes as last week, in a series of incidents, five UNIFIL peacekeepers were injured. Following this, the UN Force accused Israeli forces accused Israeli troops of entering one of their positions by breaking through a gate.
The Israeli military, however, claimed that one of its tanks, while attempting to evacuate injured soldiers, "backed several meters into a UNIFIL post" while "under fire".
Meanwhile, Israel, as per reports, expanded its targets in its war against the militant group Hezbollah and launched an airstrike on North Lebanon. The strike in the Christian-majority northern town of Aitou, as per health officials, killed at least 21 and injured eight others.
Projectiles were fired back across the border by the Hezbollah. The Israeli military reported that 115 projectiles fired by Hezbollah crossed from Lebanon into Israel.
Reuters citing the town's mayor Joseph Trad reports that the strike struck a house rented to displaced families.
Israel has ordered the residents of 25 villages in south Lebanon to evacuate and move to areas north of the Awali River.
Even as the UN Security Council, on Monday, voiced strong concern for the peacekeepers in Lebanon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again called for the peacekeepers in southern Lebanon to move from certain areas close to Israel's border with Lebanon. He insisted it was "completely false" that Israeli forces targeted the UN force, UNIFIL, but said Israel would continue to attack the Iran-backed movement "without mercy, everywhere in Lebanon – including Beirut".
(With inputs from agencies)