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Netanyahu called for the departure of members of the UNIFIL mission from the fighting areas in Lebanon

“Mr. Secretary General, take the UNIFIL troops to safety. It needs to be done now, immediately,” Netanyahu said in a video in which he addresses UN chief António Guterres in English.

UNIFIL has repeatedly come under Israeli fire in recent days, which has provoked international criticism. In recent days, at least five members of the mission were injured in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Netanyahu said that the Israeli army has repeatedly called on the UN to evacuate soldiers. Their presence in the area makes them hostages of Hezbollah, the Israeli prime minister said.

The Israeli army launched a ground invasion in the Lebanese border area last week. Israel claims that it is trying to destroy the military infrastructure of the Hezbollah movement, which has been shelling northern Israel since last October. According to the Israeli army, Hezbollah uses civilian objects to hide weapons, but the movement denies this.

On Sunday, according to AFP, Pope Francis called for respect for the blue helmets in the conflict region. “I feel a closeness to all the participating nations in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon and I ask that the UN peacekeeping forces be respected there,” František said.