Netanyahu demands UN peacekeepers to withdraw from positions in south Lebanon

“Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on the UN chief to move peacekeepers deployed in south Lebanon out of "harm's way", claiming Hezbollah used them as "human shields".

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) refused yesterday to withdraw from the border area despite five of its members being injured following “Israeli” attacks.

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"Mr Secretary General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm's way. It should be done right now, immediately," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

"Your refusal to evacuate the UNIFIL soldiers makes them hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers," Netanyahu further claimed.

"We regret the harm to UNIFIL soldiers and we are doing our utmost to prevent such harm. But the simplest and most obvious way to ensure this is simply to withdraw them from the danger zone."

In response, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told AFP in an interview that “There was a unanimous decision to stay because it's important for the UN flag to still fly high in this region, and to be able to report to the Security Council.”

Lebanon’s Prime Minister condemned Netanyahu’s statements, saying that the warning issued by Netanyahu “represents a new chapter in the enemy's approach of not complying with international norms.”

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Meanwhile, reports from the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth indicate that Netanyahu left a government meeting for the second time, accompanied by his military secretary, for reasons that remain unclear.

Earlier in the week, "Israeli" Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant communicated to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that "Israel" would continue taking measures to ensure the safety of UNIFIL forces.

Gallant confirmed, “The army will continue to take actions to avoid harming UNIFIL forces and peacekeeping sites” in southern Lebanon.