United Nations peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) drive past a Lebanese army outpost in the area of Naqura in southern Lebanon. AFP
Since March 2, the UN force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has been caught in the crossfire in the country's south, with Israeli occupation forces pushing into Lebanese border towns.
The official, who requested anonymity, said "17 of our headquarters' cameras have been destroyed by the Israeli army" in the coastal town of Naqura.
On Thursday, UNIFIL spokeswoman Kandice Ardiel told AFP peacekeepers had seen "Israeli soldiers conducting demolitions of large parts" of Naqura since the start of the week.
"Not only have these demolitions destroyed civilian homes and businesses, but the strength of the blasts have caused damage to UNIFIL's headquarters," she added.
Three Indonesian peacekeepers from the UN force have been killed in two separate incidents over the past week.
UNIFIL also reported Friday an "explosion" in one of its bases near Odaisseh in south Lebanon that wounded three personnel, adding that they "do not yet know the origin of the explosion".
The UN office in Jakarta said on Saturday the wounded were Indonesian.
Indonesia condemned the incident as "unacceptable", saying "these events underscore the urgent need to strengthen protection for UN peacekeeping forces amid an increasingly dangerous conflict situation".
"This has been a difficult week for peacekeepers working near the central part of UNIFIL's area of operations," Ardiel said in her statement.
She added that UNIFIL "reminds all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers, including by avoiding combat activities nearby that could put them in danger".
Israel has repeatedly targeted or struck areas around UNIFIL positions in past incidents and has long sought to end the mission’s presence in Lebanon.
In October 2024 alone, the mission reported around 20 attacks which were attributed to Israeli fire, with seven described by UN officials as "deliberate."
A confidential report obtained by the Financial Times revealed that Israeli forces have launched at least a dozen documented targeted attacks on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, including the use of white phosphorus near UN bases, injuring 15 soldiers, and significantly damaging the UN infrastructure.
Early in February, the UN said the Israeli occupation army dropped chemical materials near the Blue Line in southern Lebanon, temporarily halting the peacekeeping operations in the area.
On 7 March, three Ghanaian soldiers were wounded by Israeli tank fire in a border town in southern Lebanon.
Since the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, UNIFIL has recorded more than 10,000 air and ground violations by the Israeli army.
According to the UN, 97 force members have been killed in violence since UNIFIL was first established to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces after they invaded Lebanon in 1978.
The force's mandate expires at the end of this year.
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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