Netanyahu asks UN to withdraw peacekeepers from Lebanon

TEL AVIV: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked the United Nations to withdraw its peacekeeping forces from Lebanon.

In a video message, the Israeli Prime Minister asked the United Nations Secretary General to remove the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from Lebanon-Israel border without further delay.

He alleged that the UN interim forces were providing shelter to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon. Despite repeated demand, he added, the UNFIL had stayed put in Lebanon.

A few days ago, five personnel of UNIFIL were injured in an attack carried out by Israeli forces inside Lebanon. The UNIFIL authorities refused to leave the area and continued their work as mandated by the UN.

After killing over 41,000 people in Gaza since October last year, Israel has launched an attack on Hezbollah inside Lebanon and killed scores of people including its top leaders.