Israeli Forces Accused of War Crime by Italy After Attacks on UN Peacekeepers

The UN peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, is stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line with Israel, an area of increasing clashes between Israeli forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah fighters.

UNIFIL confirmed that two of its peacekeepers were injured when Israeli troops fired at their positions on both Wednesday and Thursday.

"This was not a mistake and not an accident," Crosetto said during a news conference. "It could constitute a war crime and represented a very serious violation of international military law," he added.

Crosetto reported that he had contacted his Israeli counterpart to formally protest the attack and had summoned the Israeli ambassador to Italy to demand an explanation. As of Thursday, no response had been provided by the Israeli military.

Unlike other European nations, Italy has been a strong supporter of Israel throughout its ongoing genocidal war with the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Italy is one of the major contributors of troops to the UNIFIL mission. Although no Italian soldiers were harmed, Crosetto emphasized that Israel’s actions would not be tolerated.

Israel has been attempting to push UNIFIL forces away from the Israeli-Lebanese border, but Italy firmly rejected this move.

"I told the ambassador that the United Nations and Italy do not take orders from the Israeli government," Crosetto stated.

France Demands Explanation

France also expressed concern over the attacks on UN peacekeepers, demanding explanations from Israel. The French foreign ministry released a statement condemning any attacks on UNIFIL’s security, noting that none of its 700 soldiers deployed in Lebanon were injured.

"France expresses its deep concern following the Israeli shots that hit the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and condemns any attack on the security of UNIFIL," the ministry said.

"We await explanations from the Israeli authorities. The protection of peacekeepers is an obligation that applies to all parties to a conflict," the statement added.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been engaged in intense genocidal war in Gaza following a large-scale attack by Palestinian resistance groups in retaliation for years of Zionist aggression against Palestinian civilians. In response, Israel launched airstrikes, artillery bombardments, and a ground invasion targeting civilian infrastructure. The brutal Israeli war has caused over 42,060 Palestinian deaths and left over 97,886 injured, including a significant number of women and children. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans have been displaced, facing a severe humanitarian crisis with shortages of water, food, and medical supplies.

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon have also resulted in the deaths of at least 2,169 people, including women and children, and injured more than 10,090. The risk of a broader regional conflict remains high, while international calls for ceasefires to allow humanitarian aid continue amidst the rising casualties in both Gaza and Lebanon.