EXCLUSIVE: 15 UNIFIL members suffered exposure to 'mystery' substance following Israeli attack

UN peacekeepers were exposed to harmful substances during an Israeli attack around one of their positions in south Lebanon earlier this month, an official has told The New Arab.

The Israeli military fired at installations belonging to the UN peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, during its ground invasion of southern Lebanon, causing damage and leading to outrage from France, Italy and Ireland who have members in the force.

TNA reached out to UNIFIL to ask about a "leaked report" shared by The Financial Times which reported that Israeli soldiers forcibly entered a clearly marked UN base in south Lebanon and used a substance that injured 15 peacekeepers.

UNIFIL Deputy Spokesperson Kandice Ardiel told The New Arab that the peacekeepers were forced to wear protective masks due to exposure to the substance but still suffered harm.

"On the morning of 13 October at around 4:30 am (01:30 GMT) two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate of a UNIFIL position in Ramyah and forcibly entered. Peacekeepers there were in shelters at the time," Ardiel said.

"[Israeli] soldiers repeatedly asked the peacekeepers to turn out the position's lights. The tanks left about 45 minutes later after UNIFIL protested, saying the [Israeli] pressure was putting peacekeepers in danger.

"At around 6:40 a.m., peacekeepers at the same position reported that the IDF fired several rounds about 100 metres north. The rounds emitted a kind of smoke that enveloped the position. Despite putting on protective masks, fifteen peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after exposure."

Ramyah has been the focal point of fierce clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, with the Israeli army blowing up several homes in the southern Lebanon border village.

Ardiel said UNIFIL was unable to identify the substance the peacekeepers were exposed to due to an absence in testing capabilities, but Israel had burned swathes of territory in southern Lebanon with white phosphorus, despite it being prohibited under international law.

It is one of countless potential war crimes committed by Israel during its offensive in Lebanon, which has in total killed over 2,000 people since 8 October 2023, including hundreds of civilians.

Just days before the 13 October attack, Israel said its forces had fired at a "threat" near a UNIFIL position in southern Lebanon, acknowledging that a "hit" was responsible for wounding two Blue Helmets.

Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt at UNIFIL's main base in Naqoura, according to the mission.

It follows confirmed reports that two Indonesian soldiers suffered injuries when tank fire hit a watchtower a day earlier.

Last week, peacekeepers said an Israeli Merkava tank fired at one of UNIFIL watchtowers stationed near the border village of Kfarkela.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously claimed that Israel did not want to harm the peacekeepers and accused Hezbollah of using them as "human shields" without providing any evidence. 

Netanyahu called on the 10,000-strong peacekeeping force deployed in southern Lebanon to move out of "harm's way", but UNIFIL, including Ireland, had refused to budge.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701 states that only the Lebanese army and the UN peacekeeping mission UNIFIL should be deployed in southern Lebanon.

Despite the repeated attacks, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said that the activities of the UN peacekeepers were of "great importance" and that the force could play a vital role when the war with Hezbollah ends.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701 which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel states UNIFIL should be deployed south of the Litani River, alongside the Lebanese army, and that all militant groups be disarmed, including Hezbollah.

But the Resolution was never fully implemented. The Lebanese government has said it was ready to deploy thousands more of its troops in the south and fully respect 1701 only when Israel stops attacking the country, and Israel’s biggest ally, the US, is trying to mediate a deal to stop the war.