Israel deliberately bombs UN peacekeepers in Lebanon
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan deplored Israeli air raid on the headquarters of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in which four UN personnel died.
Some described the Israeli air attack is example of Israeli state terrorism that targeted operations to assassinate individuals opposing occupation, by having also targeted ambulances of relief aid workers and even journalists in Lebanon.
The attacks are seen to be with the blessings of the United States and Britain, where Israel dropped bombs upon convoys of Lebanese civilians escaping bombardment killing them indiscriminately. A UAE ambulance had previously been reported targeted, and Journalist organizations condemned the targeting of media centers.
Islamic States Educational, Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) has condemned in the strongest term Israeli aggressions on Lebanon.
According to the Public Relations Department of Ministry of Education, ISESCO deplored Israeli bombardment of civilians in Lebanon.
"The attacks so far has targeted civilian infrastructure of Lebanon leading to death of several hundred innocent children and women and destruction of bridges, houses and educational and cultural institutions," ISESCO said in a statement.
ISESCO said that its member states stand by Lebanon in resisting the enemy's disproportionate use of force against civilians living on border areas with the occupied territories of Palestine.
One governmental official said "What the occupying regime of Israel is doing is gross violation of the principles the humanity upheld along the history."
He said that unfortunately the aggression enjoys the blessings of big powers and they are against international laws and human rights.
An official said he was "shocked" at Israel's "apparently deliberate targeting" of a UN post in Lebanon, in which up to four UN observers were killed.
Annan, in a statement issued in Rome on the eve of international conference on the Lebanon crisis, described the strike on the border town of Khiam as a "coordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long established and clearly marked UN post."
He said it took place "despite personal assurances" given to him by Israel that UN positions would be spared Israeli fire. "What we can find out about it."
The BBC also noted that the UN peace keepers contacted Israel's army 6 separate times to stop targeting UN peacekeepers areas.
In what can be a characteristic Israeli reaction, Israel first denied it intentionally did so, but under great public pressure, had to retract from its position. Israel will now investigate the incident. Israel did similar turnaround, only when it comes under public pressure, as in the killing of many Palestinians civilians, the last of which was a woman and her child, and condemned by UK public. Israel's reaction when there is a public outcry against such events is to declare that they will investigate the incident, where the events are soon after forgotten.
Israel, an aggressive nation and a brutal occupier with advanced military power, is a country that likes to portray itself as a victim, and that its actions are in reaction to "terrorists" actions, and has succeeded in convincing some of this point of view. Few weeks ago, Switzerland, in a major declaration, said that Israel is in violations of humanitarian law, Geneva Convention. Also, a UN human rights committee approved investigating Israel in this regard.
