Israeli minister denounces UN peacekeepers as fighting rages

'The State of Israel will do everything to ensure the safety of its citizens, and if the UN cannot help, at least it should not interfere, and move its personnel from the combat zones'

A man walks amid destroyed buildings at a commercial street that was hit on Saturday night by Israeli airstrikes, in Nabatiyeh town, south Lebanon. Picture: AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen on Monday accused the United Nations' Unifil peacekeepers in south Lebanon of being a useless force that failed to protect Israeli citizens from Hezbollah attacks and called on it to withdraw as fighting ramps up.

The peacekeepers, which include Irish soldiers, have seen injuries on three separate occasions in the last week, with at least four being hospitalised amid growing international condemnation against Israel for repeatedly hitting Unifil's headquarters in Naqoura and nearby positions.