Mehdi Zakarian, in an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations about the attack on UNIFIL forces in Lebanon by the Israeli regime and whether these attacks might be defined as war crimes, said: These attacks are examples of war crimes. If the UN peacekeeping forces are not immune, the result is that humanity and human dignity are in danger, and this means that a war crime has occurred, and there is no doubt about this.

Referring to the argument of the Israeli regime to justify its attacks in southern Lebanon and targeting the UN peacekeeping forces, he said: The Israeli regime authorities, by putting forward the excuse that their survival and security are in danger, somehow use these attacks as a form of legitimate defense. They claim that the Hezbollah forces have taken refuge behind UNIFIL forces.

This international law expert clarified: The Israeli regime is carrying out the recent attacks on southern Lebanon, among which the UNIFIL forces were also targeted, with two goals; First, achieving a superior strategic position, which goes as far as genocide and violation of international humanitarian laws to achieve this goal, and the second is to show its resolve to the world and the region that he does not joke with anyone in maintaining his position and superiority. The Israeli regime has pursued these two goals simultaneously in its attacks on UNIFIL forces.

Regarding the Israeli regime’s request to the United Nations to withdraw the peacekeeping forces from southern Lebanon, Zakerian said: These are the forces assigned by the UN Security Council. The Israeli regime cannot request their withdrawal, and this request cannot be implemented immediately unless the UNSC does so upon the positive vote of the UN Secretary-General through a Security Council resolution; otherwise, it is not possible to make such a request.

The expert was asked if the lives of the peacekeepers were in serious danger from the Israeli regime and if there was a possibility that these forces would withdraw. He replied: As the danger to UNIFIL forces increases and becomes serious, they will most likely leave the region by order of the United Nations because these people are citizens of countries that may demand the withdrawal of their nationals from the region by the United Nations. Indeed, if the conflict escalates, the countries whose nationals are among the peacekeeping forces will pressure the United Nations to remove them from the region.

This university professor said about the actions of the Security Council and the General Assembly to punish the Israeli regime for attacking the peacekeeping forces: The United Nations is an agent of the member states, and considering an independent position for the United Nations is out of the question. These are the member states that should demand punishment and rebuke of the Israeli regime; if the member countries decide to prevent the actions of this regime, the United Nations will implement it, but the problem is that this is to the United States. Some European governments do not want this to happen.

He continued: If the issue of the Israeli regime’s attack on the UNIFIL forces is raised in the Security Council, the United States will veto it, even if their own nationals are also present among the UNIFIL forces.

Regarding the intensification of conflicts in the region, especially the war between Hezbollah and the Israeli regime, Zakerian stated: Although the Resistance Front is important to fight against the occupation and aggression of the Zionist regime, the method of operation and how it is implemented is more important so that it would not take a direction that the occupier would have a superior position. Against the Resistance, the people in the region.

It should be noted that the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon, UNIFIL, is a group of UN peacekeeping troops based on the decision of the United Nations Security Council and the issuance of Security Council Resolution 425 and Resolution 426 of this organization in March 1978. They were sent to the region to confirm the withdrawal of the Israeli regime from Lebanon, restore peace and reconciliation to the region, and help the Lebanese government increase its influence in the region. The first group of UNIFIL soldiers entered the region on March 23, 1978. The deployment of these forces was part of the UN peacekeeping operation in the region.

In fact, UNIFIL helps to establish stability and peace in the conflict areas between the Israeli regime and Lebanon and tries to prevent the recurrence of conflicts. Also, supporting the Lebanese government in exercising its sovereignty in southern Lebanon and cooperating with the Lebanese government to restore control and sovereignty over the country’s southern regions are other goals of this UN body.

Over time, and especially after the 33-day war between the Israeli regime and Hezbollah in 2006, UNIFIL’s mission expanded. UN Security Council Resolution 1701, adopted after this war, updated UNIFIL’s mission. According to the resolution, UNIFIL is working closely with the Lebanese army to ensure that the ceasefire between the Israeli regime and Hezbollah is respected. UNIFIL is also trying to create a zone free of illegal armed forces in southern Lebanon, especially near the border with the occupied territories.

UNIFIL provides humanitarian aid to local communities in southern Lebanon. Its 10,000 peacekeepers come from around the world and participate in various operations such as demining, patrolling, and border control. UNIFIL is also trying to strengthen the trust between the different parties involved in the region.

UNIFIL has faced many challenges during its decades of presence in the region; however, it is still recognized as one of the most important peacekeeping forces in the region and plays a crucial role in preventing the escalation of tensions on the southern borders of Lebanon and occupied Palestine.

On Friday morning (October 20), the Zionist army targeted an observation post belonging to UNIFIL in Naqura, which injured 2 Sri Lankan peacekeepers. Another similar attack on Thursday (October 19) resulted in the wounding of two more peacekeepers.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: “The time has come to withdraw UNIFIL.”

Earlier, the Security Council emphasized its support for UNIFIL and declared: “Peacekeeping forces and UN facilities should never be targeted.” The Council also demanded the full implementation of its resolution 1701, which was approved in 2006 to maintain peace on the border of Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories. The council “recognized the need for further practical measures to achieve this outcome” but did not provide details on implementing this.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, head of the UN peacekeeping mission, also announced in this regard that “despite the requests made by the Israeli forces to evacuate the positions in the vicinity of the blue line, it was decided that UNIFIL will remain in all its bases for the time being.”

The European Union also condemned the attacks on the United Nations peacekeeping forces in Lebanon. It rejected the accusation of the Israeli regime that the United Nations maintains these forces to prevent operations against Hezbollah in the region.

Also, four European countries, Italy, Germany, England, and France, in a joint statement, demanded to stop the attacks of the Zionist forces on the United Nations peacekeeping forces stationed in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Stephen Dujarric, the spokesman of Antonio Guterres, also said in this regard: The Secretary General of the United Nations has condemned the attacks of the Zionist regime on the observation posts of the peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon in the past days, which injured several forces, and emphasized that these attacks may be an example of “war crime.”