U.N. peacekeepers deployed at the Israeli-Lebanese border in Khiam on Oct. 12, 2024. (Credit: Joseph Eid/AFP)
A confidential report has detailed multiple recent incidents where Israeli forces allegedly attacked United Nations personnel in Lebanon, including an incident on Oct. 13 when Israeli soldiers forcibly entered a clearly marked UNIFIL base. The report, reviewed by the Financial Times, also suggests that Israeli forces may have used white phosphorus at close range, injuring 15 peacekeepers. The report was compiled by a country contributing to UNIFIL’s mission.
Since the escalation of Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon, UNIFIL has repeatedly accused Israeli forces of targeting its personnel and positions. Last week, the peacekeeping mission, stationed in southern Lebanon, accused Israeli troops of "repeatedly" and "deliberately" firing on its positions. UNIFIL reported five peacekeepers injured and “extensive damage” to its positions. Although Israel, through Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has claimed that peacekeepers "are not a target," the country has persistently called for UNIFIL to withdraw further north—an appeal both the mission and contributing nations have rejected.
At a press conference last Friday, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti revealed that an earlier investigation had found "possible traces of the use of white phosphorus" by Israeli forces near a UNIFIL base. He added that the UN Security Council had been informed of this discovery.
White phosphorus is not banned as a chemical weapon, and it is often used to create smoke screens, mark targets, or ignite buildings. However, international conventions prohibit its use against military targets near civilians due to its severe burn risks and its potential to cause uncontrollable fires.
While UNIFIL has publicly disclosed many of the incidents outlined in the confidential report, the report itself includes additional details and photographs documenting damage to bunkers, perimeter walls, and observation towers at several UNIFIL bases, according to the Financial Times.
Escalation after surveillance cameras destroyed
The report notes that, initially, incidents took place near UN positions, but "after Oct. 8, Israeli forces began firing directly at UNIFIL bases." On Oct. 10, two peacekeepers were injured when an Israeli Merkava tank fired on an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura. A photograph included in the report shows a large hole in the tower, which Human Rights Watch's senior conflict and arms researcher Richard Weir said was consistent with a direct hit, according to the Financial Times.
In another incident on the same day, the report notes that Israeli forces fired on a UN bunker in Labbouné where Italian peacekeepers had taken shelter. This strike occurred after Israeli drone surveillance and the destruction of the position’s cameras the day before.
On Oct. 13, two Israeli Merkava tanks breached the main gate of a UNIFIL base, remaining inside for 45 minutes. An hour later, shells were fired about 100 meters north of the base, releasing "suspected white phosphorus smoke" that infiltrated the compound, injuring 15 peacekeepers. The Financial Times cites photographs showing tanks entering the base, damaged perimeter walls, and white smoke spreading throughout the area.
The Israeli army claimed the tank had been attempting to evacuate wounded soldiers while under fire, using the smoke screen for cover.
