Once again, the international disinformation machine is working hard to discredit Israel’s Netanyahu government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the latest false accusations Monday in a video message.
The US and its global allies are accusing the Israel Defense Forces of deliberately targeting UNIFIL positions in Lebanon.
In response, Netanyahu said bluntly the charge that Israel deliberately attacked UNIFIL personnel is completely false.
“It’s exactly the opposite. Israel repeatedly asked UNIFIL to get out of harm’s way. It repeatedly asked them to temporarily leave the combat zone, which is right next to Israel’s border with Lebanon.
“In fact, on the day that Israel began its ground operation next to our border with Lebanon, we asked them specifically, “Please leave this area so you’re not harmed,” Netanyahu said.
Nevertheless, the lies continue.
“The EU condemns all attacks against UN missions. It expresses particularly grave concern regarding the attacks by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which left several peacekeepers wounded,” High Representative of the European Union said in a statement on Monday. “Such attacks against UN peacekeepers constitute a grave violation of international law and are totally unacceptable. These attacks must stop immediately.”
The difficulty with the statement by the European Union and that of President Joe Biden, who told reporters the US has “absolutely, positively” asked Israel to stop hitting UN peacekeepers in Lebanon — is that Israel has “absolutely, positively” not aimed at UNIFIL positions.
Israel is not fighting UNIFIL, Netanyahu emphasized. Nor is Israel fighting the people of Lebanon. The IDF is fighting Iran’s proxy Hezbollah, which uses Lebanese territory to attack Israel.
“Hezbollah attacked Israel last year without any provocation on October 8th, a day after the Hamas massacre, and it’s continued to attack us ever since by launching over 10,000 rockets and missiles at Israel,” the prime minister pointed out.
“Hezbollah uses UNIFIL facilities and positions as cover while it attacks Israeli cities and communities. These attacks have claimed the lives of many Israelis, including yesterday,” Netanyahu said.
The false accusations that Israel is deliberately targeting UNIFIL in Lebanon ring with the same nonsense promoted by the Biden Administration and its global allies who continue to claim that Israel deliberately targets and starves civilians in Gaza, regardless of abundant, concrete evidence to the contrary from the Gazans themselves via TikTok videos, in addition to IDF footage and other imagery documenting the truth.
https://t.co/ri5lCbbjOr pic.twitter.com/UCnOxjkBZw
— Imshin (@imshin) October 15, 2024
Hamas propaganda and its lies go on and on — and the US and its global allies simply eat it up.
Maher is very pleased with this free food aid parcel he received in North Gaza, and calls it a "gym aid parcel" (he's a professional bodybuilder and gym instructor). Besides 10 large tuna cans, 4 small ones and 2 in olive oil (no less!), 3 cans of sardines, 1 peanut butter and 2… pic.twitter.com/1lNtfrI5MV
— Imshin (@imshin) October 14, 2024
Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) — the liaison to Gaza and the Palestinian Authority — has also provided regular documentation of the efforts to ensure Gaza civilians are fed and protected.
In light of the @IDF operations in the Jabaliya area targeting terrorist infrastructure and operatives embedded inside civilian areas, we continue to facilitate and ease humanitarian aid to Gaza’s residents, particularly in the medical field.
Our humanitarian efforts in northern… pic.twitter.com/8CMbBLRdCl
— COGAT (@cogatonline) October 15, 2024
Gaza civilians regularly post videos on social media crowing about the “essential” humanitarian aimed at preventing starvation that is, in fact, thrown in the streets due to overabundance.
This young Gazan says they're throwing surplus flour in the streets in North Gaza! There is so much flour, they can't find anyone who wants to take it!
TikTok timestamp: 4 days ago#TheGazaYouDontSee
Link in 1st comment pic.twitter.com/1F157MJPg5— Imshin (@imshin) September 30, 2024
As with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israeli soldiers in Gaza are continuing their work to eradicate the threat of Hamas terror following the slaughter of 1,200 people and abduction of 251 hostages during the group’s invasion of Israel one year ago.
What is happening is that Israeli forces are aiming at the Hezbollah terrorist positions located in close proximity to the UNIFIL posts. That is no accident: Hezbollah is working on precisely the same strategy as its fellow Iranian proxies, the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations in Gaza, who also position themselves — embed themselves, in fact — within civilian populations and UN facilities such as schools, clinics and hospitals.
All of the above has been carefully documented by the IDF in footage and other imagery from the scenes of the attacks.
“Over the past month, approximately 25 rockets and missiles have been launched at Israeli communities and IDF troops from Hezbollah’s terrorist compounds embedded near UNIFIL posts in southern Lebanon, exploiting their proximity to UN forces. One of the attacks resulted in the deaths of two IDF soldiers,” the IDF said in a statement earlier this week.
Take a look at this drone footage documenting the presence of a Hezbollah weapons cache located less than 500 meters (1,640 feet) from a UNIFIL post.
“During the IDF’s limited, localized, targeted ground raids based on precise intelligence in southern Lebanon, the troops of the 146th Division located hundreds of weapons, including firearms, grenades, and rocket launchers aimed at Israeli territory. These weapons were stored inside underground compounds located from a few dozen meters up to a few hundred meters from UNIFIL posts situated near the Blue Line, the IDF emphasized.
Noam Amir, Israeli journalist, who visited this Hezbollah attack tunnel in South Lebanon today, said it's huge. He said they walked inside for 40 minutes because of the many turns and bends. IDF spokesman Hagari says 800 meters. It comes right up to the Israeli border, can house… pic.twitter.com/dC1vzIo2Rx
— Imshin (@imshin) October 14, 2024
The IDF found a Hezbollah tunnel, similarly equipped, located less than a mile from a UNIFIL post.
“For years, Hezbollah has embedded itself in southern Lebanon in grave violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The organization has stockpiled large quantities of weapons aimed at Israeli civilians over the years and has deliberately built up its attack infrastructure near UNIFIL posts,” the IDF pointed out.
“The IDF’s targeted raids are only directed against Hezbollah, and the troops’ activities are not directed at UNIFIL posts, forces, or infrastructure. On Thursday, September 30th, prior to the start of the operation, IDF representatives submitted a request to the organization to move its personnel away from posts located within five kilometers of the Blue Line, as this area would become an active combat zone.
“The IDF maintains continuous communication with UNIFIL to avoid, as much as possible, any harm to UNIFIL personnel in the area and will continue to do so, despite the complexities of the UNIFIL’s presence inside the combat zone,” the IDF said.
Somehow, none of the above ever matters when international leaders of nations with large Arab and Muslim populations pursue the narrative that more closely fits with their domestic political goals.
The Biden Administration, despite its “ironclad” commitment to the safety and security of its sole democratic ally in the Middle East, Israel, is also walking a slender tightrope. Biden’s Democratic party faces a strong challenge this year from GOP presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump in the rapidly approaching US presidential elections. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris — Democratic candidate for president — are tiptoeing between the clamor of those who scream daily for the annihilation of the Jewish State and its Jewish population, and its Jewish population, the majority of which still largely votes with the Democratic party from the White House down.
Part of the White House balancing act includes regularly throwing Israel under the bus, including direct criticism of Israel’s democratically-elected leader, when pandering to the growing anti-Israel and antisemitic sector to secure victory in November.
“Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Oct. 12 and expressed his deep concern about reports that Israeli forces fired on UN peacekeeping positions in Lebanon as well as by the reported death of two Lebanese soldiers,” read a readout of the conversation this weekend.
“The Secretary strongly emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety and security of UNIFIL forces and Lebanese Armed Forces and reinforced the need to pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway as soon as feasible.
“Secretary Austin also raised the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed that steps must be taken to address it,” the readout said, adding the de rigeur statement, “The Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ unwavering, enduring, and ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”
Of everyone in the Biden Administration, Austin at least should know better: the defense secretary in the past was deeply involved in the US effort to eradicate the budding Islamic State global caliphate that seized huge amounts of territory across Syria and Iraq.
Nevertheless, despite it all, Netanyahu this time is standing firm.
“Israel has every right to defend itself against Hezbollah and will continue to do so,” the prime minister said.
“We regret any harm done to UNIFIL personnel and the IDF is doing its utmost to prevent such incidents. But the best way to assure the safety of UNIFIL personnel is for UNIFIL to heed Israel’s request and to temporarily get out of harm’s way.”
