Latest developments in the Middle East: Israel hit Beirut with the largest simultaneous attack hours before the expected ceasefire agreement | World News

UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said UN peacekeepers in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had been deliberately targeted by Israeli forces in some cases.

UNIFIL forces faced a series of Israeli attacks on peacekeepers this month, and the Israeli government demanded that they abandon their positions in southern Lebanon.

To talk The World with Yalda Hakim“In some cases we have seen clear signs of deliberate attacks,” Mr. Lacroix said.

“But I can’t say that all attacks or all incidents were intentional,” he added.

“In some cases we still need to investigate.”

The Austrian defense ministry said earlier today that eight of its soldiers serving with the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon were injured in a rocket attack on Naqoura, a city in southern Lebanon.

“In some cases, we certainly don’t have the definitive elements that would point to intentional attacks,” Mr. Lacroix said.

“In some cases, yes, we have those elements. So recently, a little less than a week ago, there was an observation post belonging to UNIFIL, and that post was destroyed by a bulldozer from the IDF.

“And we have video. So it’s clear that this was a deliberate attack.”

UNRWA ban ‘extremely concerning’

Mr Lacroix also described Israel’s ban on the UN aid agency UNRWA as “extremely concerning” as the group is “absolutely essential” in providing humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.

Parliament’s decision yesterday is expected to severely restrict the aid group’s work in Gaza and the West Bank, where access is controlled by Israel.

“So essentially banning UNRWA, preventing UNRWA from operating and providing humanitarian assistance to these populations, especially during this period, is really extremely concerning,” he said.