UN says Israel deliberately fired on its peacekeepers

Alleged attacks on Unifil would be 'grave violation of international law'

- Julian Borger Lisa O'Carroll

The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said yesterday that Israeli forces had deliberately fired on its positions, injuring two peacekeepers and bringing fresh accusations of violations of international law.

The incidents come as Israel has been carrying out repeated ground incursions across the border into Lebanon in its war with Hezbollah, as the conflict that began in Gaza a year ago continues to spread across the region.

The alleged attacks on peacekeepers brought expressions of outrage from UN member states that contribute troops to the mission, known as Unifil, at a time when Israel is already under scrutiny for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A UN report published yesterday accused Israel of pursuing a policy of destroying Gaza's healthcare system in the war, saying this constituted a war crime and extermination as a crime against humanity.

The report was authored by a UN-commissioned panel of experts led by a former UN high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay.

Before the presentation of the full report to the UN general assembly on 30 October, Pillay issued a statement previewing its findings, saying Israel had carried out "relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities" over the course of the war, triggered by the 7 October Hamas attacks on southern Israel last year.

"Children in particular have borne the brunt of these attacks, suffering both directly and indirectly from the collapse of the health system," Pillay said.

There was no immediate response from Israel, which has repeatedly accused the UN of institutional bias against it.