Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen on Monday accused the United Nations’ UNIFIL peacekeepers in south Lebanon of being a “useless” force that failed to protect Israelis from Hezbollah attacks.

Mr Cohen called on UNIFIL to withdraw as fighting ramps up.

“The State of Israel will do everything to ensure the safety of its citizens, and if the UN cannot help, at least it should not interfere and move its personnel from the combat zones,” he said on X.

Israel and the United Nations have been trading accusations over the peacekeepers in south Lebanon as Israel pushes its forces through the area in an attempt to wipe out Iran-backed Hezbollah and its military infrastructure.

The UN said Israeli tanks had burst into its base on Sunday, the latest allegations of Israeli violations against peacekeeping forces that have been condemned by Hezbollah and by Israel’s allies.

Israel disputed the UN account, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the peacekeepers to withdraw, saying they were providing “human shields” for Hezbollah during an upsurge in hostilities.

The UNIFIL peacekeeping force said two Israeli Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate of a base and forcibly entered before dawn on Sunday.

After the tanks left, shells exploded 100 metres (yards) away, releasing smoke that blew across the base and sickened UN personnel, it said in a statement.

The Middle East remains on high alert for Israel to retaliate against Iran for an October 1 barrage of long-range missiles launched in response to Israel’s assaults on Lebanon.

The Pentagon on Sunday said it would send U.S. troops to Israel along with an advanced U.S. anti-missile system as Israel weighs its expected retaliation against Iran.

Hezbollah denied it uses the proximity of peacekeepers for protection.

The Israeli military took foreign journalists into southern Lebanon on Sunday and showed them a Hezbollah tunnel shaft that was less than 200 metres away (650 feet) from a UNIFIL position, as well as weapon stashes that the troops found.

Brig.-Gen. Yiftach Norkin said the tunnels were built a few years ago.

“We are actually standing in a military base of Hezbollah very close to the UN,” Mr Norkin said, pointing to the shaft’s trap door in an area covered by undergrowth and overlooked by a UN observation post.

Since announcing its ground operation near the border, the Israeli military said that it had destroyed dozens of Hezbollah tunnel shafts, rocket launchers and command posts.

Colonel Olivier Rafowicz said, “We found several days ago a huge quantity of weapons originally coming from Iran and Russia. Brand new. They were prepared for attacking us and (launching) a large invasion into the north of Israel,” Mr Rafowicz said, showing the journalists crates of weapons.

Reuters could not immediately verify these claims. 

(Reuters/NAN)