According to the UN, Israeli tanks broke through gates of the peacekeeping base

JERUSALEM: The United Nations said on Sunday (October 13) that Israeli tanks stormed through the gates of a base of its peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. This is the latest allegation of violations and attacks denounced by Israel's own allies.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the United Nations to evacuate UNIFIL peacekeepers from combat zones in Lebanon. Hours later, the force reported more Israeli violations, including tanks forcing their way through the gates of a base.

“It is time for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and combat zones,” Netanyahu said in a statement to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“The IDF has repeatedly requested this and has repeatedly met with refusal, resulting in the provision of human shields to Hezbollah terrorists.”

The Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah rejects Israel's accusation of using the proximity of peacekeepers for protection.

So far, five peacekeepers have been injured in a series of attacks that have hit peacekeeper positions and personnel in recent days. Most of the attacks were attributed by UNIFIL to the Israeli forces.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, usually one of Israel's most vocal supporters among Western European leaders, spoke to Netanyahu by telephone on Sunday and condemned the Israeli attacks.

Italy has more than a thousand soldiers in the 10,000-strong UNIFIL force, making it one of the largest providers of personnel. France and Spain, which each have almost 700 soldiers deployed, also condemned the Israeli attacks.

“Prime Minister Meloni reiterated that it is unacceptable for UNIFIL to be attacked by Israeli forces,” the Italian government said in a statement.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz reiterated on Sunday that the country had banned UN chief Guterres from entering the country because he allegedly failed to adequately condemn Iran for a missile attack earlier this month and for what Katz described as anti-Semitic and anti-Semitic behavior anti-Israel behavior.

UNIFIL was founded in 1978 to monitor southern Lebanon. Since then, there has been ongoing conflict in the region: Israel invaded in 1982, occupied southern Lebanon until 2000, and fought another major five-week war against Hezbollah in 2006.

Israel's attack on Hezbollah over the past three weeks was Lebanon's deadliest in decades. He drove 1.2 million Lebanese from their homes and dealt an unprecedented blow to the group, killing most of its leaders.

Israeli officials say UNIFIL has failed in its task of complying with UN Resolution 1701, passed after the 2006 war, which requires the border area in southern Lebanon to be free of weapons or troops other than those belonging to the Lebanese state .

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed “deep concern” in a phone call with Israeli Defense Minister Gallant on Saturday about reports that Israeli forces had fired on peacekeeper positions and called on Israel to ensure their safety and that of the Lebanese military, he said the Pentagon. The Lebanese military is not involved in Israel's conflict with Hezbollah.