Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: AP

In a message in Hebrew to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Netanyahu said it was time to withdraw the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) from combat zones. He accused UNIFIL of repeated refusals, all aimed at providing a human shield to Hezbollah fighters.

The Israeli army was accused of conducting direct attacks on UNIFIL in recent days, which wounded several troops in their main base in Naqoura, southern Lebanon. Many countries and international organizations have strongly condemned Israel's attack, calling it a blatant challenge to international law.