The United Nations peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon said on Friday that the Israeli army’s “deliberate and direct damage” to its property was a “clear violation” of international law.

The 10,000-strong UN mission, known as UNIFIL, is based in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the “blue line” separating Lebanon from Israel.

Since Israel launched a ground offensive along the border against Hezbollah fighters in late September, UNIFIL has repeatedly accused the Israel Defense Forces of deliberately attacking its bases, including opening fire on peacekeepers and destroying watchtowers.

Israel has denied such incidents were intentional attacks. Israel said UN troops provided human shields for Hezbollah fighters and told UNIFIL to evacuate them from southern Lebanon for their safety, but the request was rejected.

In its latest accusation, UNIFIL said on Thursday the IDF used excavators and bulldozers to destroy part of the fence and concrete structure at a UN peacekeeping post in southern Lebanon. It was stated that peacekeepers this week also observed Israeli troops lifting the barrel pointing to the blue line.

“The IDF’s deliberate and direct destruction of clearly identifiable UNIFIL property is a clear violation of international law and resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said, referring to a UN resolution mandating a cessation of hostilities in southern Lebanon after a previous war. he said.

“Yesterday’s incident, like seven other similar incidents, is not a matter of peacekeepers being caught in the crossfire, but a matter of deliberate and direct actions by the IDF,” UNIFIL said. he said.

It was stated that the UN force would remain in Lebanon “despite the unacceptable pressures applied to the mission”.

There has been no statement from the Israeli army yet.

The statement came a day after six Malaysian peacekeepers on a UN bus passing through a checkpoint were injured in an Israeli drone strike that killed three Lebanese in a nearby car.

On Friday night, a series of Israeli attacks shook Beirut’s southern suburbs after Israel ordered an evacuation, according to Reuters witnesses.

Strikes destroyed every building in the dense neighborhood, which most residents have abandoned in recent weeks.

Separately, the Israeli military said it had established a Hezbollah training center equipped with study materials and large quantities of weapons, about 200 meters (yards) from the UNIFIL base in southern Lebanon.

He said the facility he demolished contained launchers prepared to fire on Israeli communities.

A UNIFIL spokesman said the Israeli army did not share any information about a facility allegedly belonging to Hezbollah.

Israel accused UNIFIL forces of turning a blind eye to Hezbollah building a network of tunnels and other infrastructure near the northern Israeli border for more than a decade, often within sight of its bases.

It is stated that the infrastructure is part of Hezbollah’s plan to launch an attack on Israel similar to the attack by Palestinian war group Hamas on communities in southern Israel on October 7, 2023.

A UNIFIL spokesman said UNIFIL regularly reports suspicious locations to the Security Council. The spokesman said the UN Security Council did not require UNIFIL to disarm any non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah.