Israeli Tanks Smash Into UN Peacekeeper Base in Southern Lebanon
As the Israeli invasion of Lebanon escalates, it has been reported that on Sunday morning Israeli tanks smashed their way into a UN peacekeeper base in southern Lebanon near Ramia. Exactly why they decided to force their way into a UNIFIL base, which is of course a violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, is not at all clear.
Reports from the ground are that the two Merkava tanks forced their way in while the UNIFIL personnel were in shelters. They demanded that the base shut off all lights. They remained inside the compound for around 45 minutes, and left after the UN filed a protest through liaisons.
That wasn’t the end of it, either, as two hours after the Israeli tanks left, they fired an unidentified smoke munition just north of the UN position. The UNIFIL personnel were wearing gas masks, but 15 of them were still reported to have sustained skin irritation or gastrointestinal symptoms when the smoke reach their base. They are receiving medical treatment.
