Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for the immediate withdrawal of United Nations peacekeepers from southern Lebanon as tensions between Israel and Hezbollah continue to escalate.

Netanyahu’s demand comes after multiple incidents where UNIFIL posts were hit by Israeli forces, resulting in minor injuries to some peacekeepers.

"It is time for you to withdraw UNIFIL from Hezbollah strongholds and from the areas of combat," Netanyahu said in a video address to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Netanyahu emphasized that the Israeli army has repeatedly requested the relocation of UNIFIL in these conflict zones, but its calls have been met with "repeated refusals."

He accused the UN of enabling Hezbollah to use UNIFIL as a “human shield,” endangering both the peacekeepers and Israeli soldiers. 

In a direct appeal to Guterres, Netanyahu said in English, “Mr. Secretary-General, get the UNIFIL forces out of harm’s way. It should be done right now, immediately.” 

UNIFIL confirmed that several of their posts, including their headquarters in Naqoura, had been struck by Israeli forces. While the injuries sustained by UN peacekeepers were described as light, the incidents have heightened concerns about the safety of international personnel stationed in the volatile region.

Netanyahu expressed regret for the injuries suffered by the peacekeepers, stating that Israel is taking measures to avoid the recurrence of such incidents. However, he stressed that the only sure way to protect them is for the UN to remove them from the "danger zone."

“Your refusal to evacuate the UNIFIL soldiers makes them hostages of Hezbollah,” Netanyahu asserted. “This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers.”

The Israeli prime minister also called on European leaders to shift their criticism away from Israel and toward Hezbollah, accusing the group of deliberately using the UNIFIL forces as a "human shield" to safeguard its militant operations in southern Lebanon.