UN says peacekeepers have been wounded by Israeli tank in Lebanon: Middle East stay

A UN inquiry said on Thursday that Israel has carried out a concerted policy of destroying Gaza’s healthcare system, amounting to the crime against humanity of extermination.

The inquiry also found that the actions amounted to war crimes.

A statement from ex-U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, released ahead of a full report, accused Israel of “relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities”.

“Children in particular have borne the brunt of these attacks, suffering both directly and indirectly from the collapse of the health system,” Pillay said.

The inquiry also accuses Israeli forces of deliberately killing and torturing medical personnel, restricting permits for patients to leave the Gaza strip and targeting medical vehicles.

Israel accuses Hamas militants of using hospitals and medical facilities as cover.

Nearly 1,000 medics have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The World Health Organisation says this is an “irreplaceable loss and a massive blow to the health system”.

A UN inquiry has found that Israel’s destruction of the health system in Gaza amounts to the crime against humanity of “extermination”.

The news emerged in a statement released ahead of the full report, according to Reuters.

We’ll bring you the latest on the inquiry.

UNIFL have issued a statement after two UN peacekeepers were injured by an Israeli strike.

Israeli troops fired at the watchtower in UNIFL’s main base in Naqoura, adding that the injuries are “fortunately” not serious.

UNIFL says Israel also “deliberately” fired at other UN peacekeeper positions, adding that “any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law”.

Here is the statement in full:

“Recent escalation along the Blue Line is causing widespread destruction of towns and villages in south Lebanon, while rockets continue to be launched towards Israel, including civilian areas.

In the past days we have seen incursions from Israel into Lebanon in Naqoura and other areas. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers have clashed with Hezbollah elements on the ground in Lebanon. Unifil’s Naqoura headquarters and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit.

This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at Unifil’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall. The injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain in hospital.

IDF soldiers also fired on UN position (UNP) 1-31 in Labbouneh, hitting the entrance to the bunker where peacekeepers were sheltering, and damaging vehicles and a communications system. An IDF drone was observed flying inside the UN position up to the bunker entrance.

Yesterday, IDF soldiers deliberately fired at and disabled the position’s perimeter-monitoring cameras. They also deliberately fired on UNP 1-32A in Ras Naqoura, where regular Tripartite meetings were held before the conflict began, damaging lighting and a relay station.

We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times. UNIFIL peacekeepers are present in south Lebanon to support a return to stability under security council mandate.

Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council resolution 1701. We are following up with the IDF on these matters.”

The US has called on Israel to urgently address the “catastrophic conditions” in Gaza and stop “intensifying suffering” by limiting the delivery of aid.

Speaking to the UN security council, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: “These catastrophic conditions were predicted months ago, and yet, have still not been addressed. That must change, and now.”

Ms Thomas-Greenfield added that there must be “no demographic or territorial change” in the Gaza strip, The Guardian reported.

Israeli tanks attacked northern Gaza with force this week, stating they were preventing Hamas from regrouping.

President Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu have held their first call in weeks, a conversation that comes as Israel expands its ground invasion into south Lebanon and considers how to respond to Iran’s recent ballistic missile attack.

Mr Netanyahu’s office also confirmed that the prime minister had recently spoken with former president Donald Trump, who is running again for the White House.

Rachel Hagan reports:

Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati says the United States and France are trying to revive a ceasefire deal for the Middle East.

“There are contacts taking place between the United States and France with the aim of reviving a ceasefire declaration for a specific period in order to resume the search for political solutions,” he is quoted as saying, according to Reuters.

Lebanese milotant group Hezbollah yesterday supported calls for a ceasefire, and dropped a Gaza truce from their ceasefire conditions.

“We support the political efforts led by (Parliament Speaker Nabih) Berri under the banner of achieving a ceasefire. Once the ceasefire is firmly established and diplomacy can reach it, all other details will be discussed and decisions will be made collaboratively,” Deputy Secretery General Naim Qassem said.

But Israel’s invasion of Lebanon continues, and Netanyahu told the people of Hezbollah to throw out Hezbollah if they want to avoid the “destruction and suffering like we see in Gaza”.

Two UN peacekeepers have sustained minor injuries after an Israeli tank opened fire on a UN watchtower on Wednesday.

The watchtower was in the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon’s (UNIFL) main base in Naqoura.

We reported earlier that Israeli fired at three different UN peacekeeper positions in southern Lebanon over a 24-hour period.

Israel has not yet commented.