On September 27, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York. According to a report by CNN, he issued a stark warning to the UN regarding the safety of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), urging Secretary-General António Guterres to withdraw the troops. In fact, UNIFIL had stated on October 12 that Israel had requested their departure from their positions in southern Lebanon, but the forces unanimously decided to remain.
In a video statement on October 13, Netanyahu said, “I want to speak directly to UN Secretary-General Guterres: It is time for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah’s strongholds and conflict zones.”
He emphasized that Israel had repeatedly requested the redeployment of UNIFIL, but these requests had been denied. Netanyahu claimed that the presence of UNIFIL was “intended to provide a human shield for Hezbollah.” He added, “By refusing to withdraw UNIFIL, you are making these troops hostages to Hezbollah. This endangers the lives of both Israeli forces and UNIFIL personnel.”
Netanyahu expressed regret over any harm caused to UN peacekeepers, stating, “We are doing everything we can to prevent such harm. But the simple and necessary way to ensure this is to withdraw UN peacekeepers from dangerous areas. This should be done immediately.”
