Jerusalem: The Israeli army’s shelling of the positions of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was a “mistake,” and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the country’s Foreign Ministry are negotiating to prevent similar incidents, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said.
“It was a mistake. It is not our policy to attack UNIFIL. We are currently working on a solution to this problem. The IDF is negotiating with UNIFIL, and the Foreign Ministry is also negotiating a solution to this problem,” Katz said in an interview with the Welt newspaper on Wednesday.
Katz noted that the main problem is that Lebanese movement Hezbollah operates in close proximity to UNIFIL bases.
“They are doing this because they want Israel to act against UNIFIL. However, since UNIFIL does not want to leave these places, we are now working on a solution to the problem,” Katz added.
The minister believes that military actions in southern Lebanon will continue for several more weeks.
“Our interests are not in a political solution in Lebanon, but in our security and the return of our citizens to a safe life,” he said.
The UNIFIL has repeatedly reported attacks on its positions by the IDF in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military reportedly attacked the mission’s strongholds, including two Italian bases, and the headquarters, and violated the Blue Line.
