Hezbollah Launched 25 Attacks from Near UNIFIL Posts over Past Month

October 15, 2024

by: Joshua Marks ~ JNS

Tuesday, 15 October 2024 | Over the past month, the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah has fired 25 rockets and missiles at Israeli communities and forces from terrorist compounds embedded near UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) posts in Southern Lebanon, the Israel Defense Force [IDF] said on Sunday night.

One of the attacks killed two Israeli soldiers.

The IDF accused the Iranian-backed terror army of “exploiting their proximity to UN forces.”

During a targeted ground raid in southern Lebanon, troops from the 146th Division located hundreds of weapons, including firearms, grenades and rocket launchers aimed at Israeli territory. These weapons were stored in compounds located from a few dozen meters up to a few hundred meters from UNIFIL posts situated near the Blue Line border.

“UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon was deployed to implement UN Security Council [UNSC] Resolution 1701 and prevent the presence of armed Hezbollah operatives south of the Litani River. However, both the State of Lebanon and the international community have failed to implement Resolution 1701, despite repeated requests to do so,” the IDF said.

“For years, Hezbollah has embedded itself in southern Lebanon in grave violation of UNSC resolutions. The organization has stockpiled large quantities of weapons aimed at Israeli civilians over the years and has deliberately built up its attack infrastructure near UNIFIL posts,” the military continued.

The IDF emphasized that its raids target only Hezbollah and not UNIFIL posts, forces or infrastructure, noting that on September 30, before the start of ground operations in Lebanon, IDF representatives requested that UNIFIL move its personnel away from posts located within five kilometers [3 mi.] of the Blue Line because this area would become an active combat zone.

However, the UN has refused to move its forces to safer areas, despite a plea from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday.

“I want to directly address the UN secretary-general from here: It is time for you to remove UNIFIL from Hezbollah’s strongholds and from the combat areas,” the premier said in a statement.

“The IDF has repeatedly requested this, only to be met with refusal, a refusal aimed solely at providing Hezbollah terrorists with a human shield. Your refusal to evacuate UNIFIL soldiers turns them into hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers,” he continued.

“We regret the harm caused to UNIFIL soldiers, and we are doing everything we can to prevent it. But the simplest and most obvious way to ensure their safety is to simply remove them from the danger zone.

Mr. Secretary-General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately,” Netanyahu said.

“Unfortunately, some European leaders are applying pressure in the wrong place. Instead of criticizing Israel, they should direct their criticism at Hezbollah, which uses UNIFIL as a human shield, just as Hamas in Gaza uses UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees] as a human shield. Unfortunately, in Gaza, UNRWA even collaborates with Hamas,” he added.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres was defiant on Sunday, saying that any attacks on peacekeepers “may constitute a war crime.”

“UNIFIL peacekeepers remain in all positions and the UN flag continues to fly,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

For its part, the Israeli army said that “the IDF maintains continuous communication with UNIFIL to avoid, as much as possible, any harm to UNIFIL personnel in the area and will continue to do so, despite the complexities of the UNIFIL’s presence inside the combat zone.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that Hezbollah will not be allowed to return to the Lebanese border area.

“The first line of villages contains Hezbollah military targets, where thousands of weapons and missiles are stored, and where there are hundreds of tunnels. These [military targets] will be destroyed, and even once IDF troops withdraw, we will not allow Hezbollah terrorists to return to these areas,” Gallant said during a visit to an observation post overlooking southern Lebanon.

“At this observation post we can see the entire first line of villages with Hezbollah infrastructure. These are military targets containing underground tunnels and weapon storages—our troops found hundreds of RPGs [rocket propelled grenades], munition and anti-tank missiles here. The IDF is currently destroying these means above and under the ground,” Gallant said.

“I have instructed the IDF at all levels to ensure the destruction of [attack infrastructure] and to ensure that terrorists may not return to these places. This is essential in order to ensure the safety of Israel’s northern communities.”

Over 100 Terrorists Killed

The IDF said on Sunday night forces from its 146th Division have killed over 100 terrorists to date in targeted raids and ground operations in Southern Lebanon.

Additionally, the division’s forces have located and destroyed dozens of tunnel shafts, terrorist infrastructure and over 50 rocket launchers and over 60 Hezbollah command posts.

Also, forces from the 205th Brigade uncovered terror infrastructure located in a tunnel around half a kilometer [0.3 mi.] from the Israeli border. The tunnel contained equipment used by terrorists for prolonged stays, including electrical infrastructure, ventilation ducts and two rooms used for storing weapons and ammunition.

The tunnel itself was discovered several months ago and has now been destroyed.

Posted on October 15, 2024

Source: (Excerpt of an article originally published by the Jewish News Syndicate on October 14, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

Photo Credit: @UNIFIL/X/jns.org