UNIFIL: Israeli forces crossed the Blue Line, ‘destroyed’ main base gate

The United Nations says Israeli tanks burst through the gates of its peacekeeping force base in southern Lebanon after three platoons of Israeli soldiers crossed the Blue Line. The UN peacekeepers said in a statement at 4:30am (01:30 GMT), two Israeli army Merkava tanks “destroyed” their main gate and “forcibly entered the position” while peacekeepers were asleep. “The tanks left about 45 minutes later after UNIFIL protested through our liaison mechanism, saying [the Israeli military] presence was putting peacekeepers in danger,” it said. At 6:40am (03:40 GMT), peacekeepers reported several rounds being fired about 100 metres (328 feet) north of their position in what appeared to be an attack with some sort of chemical agent. “Despite putting on protective masks, 15 peacekeepers suffered effects including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions after the smoke entered the camp. The peacekeepers are receiving treatment.” The Israeli army must obey its “obligation to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property” at the Lebanon border, the force said after the latest attack. “Breaching and entering a UN position is a further flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said in a statement. Al Jazeera is covering this story from various locations. Dorsa Jabbari brings updates from the Lebanese capital, Beirut, while Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, covers the Israeli army's stance. Ray Murphy is a Human Rights Lawyer and Professor of Law at the University of Galway. He also served as a UN Peacekeeper with UNIFIL in Lebanon. He joins us from Galway in Ireland to discuss the latest developments. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #BlueLine #Lebanon #Israel #Hezbollah #SouthernLebanon #LebanonIsraelBorderTension #UnitedNations #UNIFIL #IsraelLebanonWar #HezbollahIsraelTensions #HezbollahIsraelClashes #IsraelHezbollahAttacks #OperationArrowsOfTheNorth #BenjaminNetanyahu #AntonioGuterres #AlJazeeraEnglish