Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the immediate removal of United Nations peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon, citing concerns for their safety as tensions escalate with Hezbollah. Netanyahu stated that the UN had "repeatedly refused" to evacuate the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), allowing Hezbollah to use peacekeepers as "human shields."

“Your refusal to evacuate Unifil soldiers has turned them into hostages of Hezbollah. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers,” Netanyahu argued. He also addressed UN Secretary-General António Guterres directly, urging him to "get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way.”

“It should be done right now, immediately,” he added.

In response, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati criticized Netanyahu's remarks, calling them "a new chapter in the enemy’s approach of not complying with international norms."

The calls by Netanyahu come as Unifil, which has been in Lebanon since 2006, revealed that a fifth peacekeeper has been hit by gunfire at its headquarters, according to a report by The Telegraph.

Unifil has also claimed that Israel has entered its southern Lebanon base, blocking its peacekeepers from movement in a nearby village. Following two peacekeepers being injured, European nations have reacted strongly to the ongoing conflict, with France summoning the Israeli ambassador and condemning the attacks as "unjustifiable." Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also told Netanyahu the attacks were "unacceptable." 

The situation unfolds as European countries continue to push for a ceasefire following Israel’s limited ground invasion into southern Lebanon earlier this month. Netanyahu responded by urging European leaders to direct their criticism toward Hezbollah, who “uses Unifil as a human shield just as Hamas in Gaza uses UNRWA [the United National Relief and Works Agency for Palestine].”