A caravan of Israeli Merkava tanks opened fire this week on an observation tower in southern Lebanon belonging to peacekeepers from UNIFIL, the media is reporting.
The tower was located near the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kela. Nobody was killed, but two of the facility's cameras were destroyed by tank fire along with the watchtower itself, which was heavily damaged.
UNIFIL issued a statement condemning the attack and warning that both the property itself and the personnel who work there should be treated as sacred and untouchable since they are there to promote peace, not war.
It is unknown why Israel Defense Forces (IDF) decided to target the facility, other than to do so because it can. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had just demanded that all United Nations (UN) troops flee Lebanon right before it, so perhaps this was his punishment for their continued presence.
Right before the attack, UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti issued a statement that UN personnel would not be evacuating Lebanon just because Israel demanded it, explaining that UN troops are there at the request of the UN Security Council, not the Israelis. This, too, suggests that Netanyahu retaliated with vengeance by blowing up the group's watchtower facility.
"It is important to maintain the ability to monitor the area so that it is possible to report to New York and the international community," Tenenti said.
"And it is important for both sides to have an impartial and unbiased force that can do this. Additionally, it's important these days to provide humanitarian aid to thousands of people who are still stuck in villages in the south of the country."
(Related: The Jerusalem Post just published an article praising all the Jews who hold high positions of power in government, media, entertainment and finance.)
Netanyahu's pride will be his downfall
The more Israel pulls these kinds of stunts, the more the world asks itself why are we supporting these people, again? Self-defense is one thing, but blowing up peacekeeping operations just because is something else. Thanks to Netanyahu, all eyes are on Israel now, and not in a good way.
The international community is sick and tired of all the death and destruction being inflicted by Israel on its enemies in the name of self-defense. And yet Netanyahu continues to double down on his vow to win all the wars "with or without" the rest of the world's support.
Netanyahu is so sure that he has this all in the bag that his pride, and that of his supporters, is blinding him to the truth that he is setting up himself and the Israeli people for a massive fall – pride comes before fall, after all.
Tenenti further noted in a media interview that "thousands of people" have died in recent weeks as Israel proceeds with its invasion of Lebanon, and he is concerned about where things are headed.
"Civilians were killed and not just fighters," he explained. "Members of humanitarian organizations and medical personnel were also injured."
The claim by many commenters on Israeli media sources is that UNFIL has not been doing its job and should thus leave so Israel can continue its crusade unabated. Elsewhere, commenters are upset that Israel would target peacekeepers in this callous way.
"The peacekeepers need to fire back," one said about this latest act of aggression by Israel. "The Irish get it now. The real enemy is not Russia, but Israel."
"Whenever I see Netanyahu come on the screen, I get sick to my stomach and filled with despair," wrote another about what seeing the face of Israel's top dog does to his senses.
What will happen next in the Middle East? Find out more at Prophecy.news.
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