‘UN peacekeepers have become hostages of Hezbollah,’ says Netanyahu, urging UN to evacuate its forces, even as UN Secretary-General insists UNIFIL will remain in Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the United Nations Sunday to withdraw its peacekeeping force from southern Lebanon as fighting continues between Israel and the Hezbollah terrorist organization.
In a statement issued Sunday afternoon, the Israeli premier called on United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to evacuate the roughly 9,500 soldiers deployed to southern Lebanon as part of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Formed in 1978, UNIFIL has since been tasked with monitoring the Israeli-Lebanese frontier, disarming Hezbollah, and aiding the Lebanese government to maintain control over the land between the Blue Line and the Litani River.