Israel's assaults on UNIFIL and the tepid international reaction

UNIFIL forces stationed along the Lebanese-Israeli border, deployed under a Security Council mandate, have faced several deliberate attacks by Israeli forces, resulting in two serious injuries, one of which is critical. 

Unlike previous incidents where Israel often labeled such attacks as accidental, this time it demanded that UNIFIL forces either leave the area or reposition themselves to align with Israeli military plans. A UNIFIL spokesperson rejected Israel's request, affirming that only the Security Council, which authorized their deployment, holds the authority to alter their positions.

Countries contributing to the UNIFIL mission, particularly European nations, have expressed dissatisfaction with Israel's aggression. However, their response has been limited to requesting that Israel refrain from repeating the attacks, a reaction that can only be described as modest.

As for President Biden, whose country supported the establishment and deployment of UNIFIL, his response was notably weak. He merely stated that he had asked Israel to avoid targeting the forces, mirroring his previous appeals for Israel to refrain from killing Palestinian and Lebanese civilians—appeals that Israel countered with escalated violence, most recently seen in Jabaliya and Beirut.

While Biden has been criticized as one of the weakest U.S. presidents in recent memory, the issue goes beyond his leadership. The U.S. now bears the reputation of being a "giant trailer" pulled by Israel's "small bike."