The U.N. complained that an Israeli tank shot its way onto a peacekeeper base. Israel said Hezbollah operated nearby and used the base as a human shield.
The U.N. said Israeli tanks burst onto the base in southern Lebanon shortly before dawn on Oct. 13. Its United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon peacekeeping force said two Merkava tanks destroyed the base’s main gate and forcibly entered. After they left, shells exploded 100 meters away, releasing smoke that blew across the base and sickened U.N. personnel, the force said in a statement.
Israel disputed the account, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist group uses the peacekeepers as “human shields.” Hezbollah denied that it uses proximity to peacekeepers for protection.
