UN workers attacked in Israeli air strikes

The Daily Star

TYRE: A Lebanese family of five and two UN personnel remained buried under the rubble of a two-story building on Thursday after an Israeli strike Tuesday evening in the eastern Tyre suburb of al-Hosh.

A UNIFIL rescue team has so far been unable to come to the aid of the family and the two UN workers, both from Ghana.

In addition, local UN officials said they had yet to receive confirmation from the Israeli military regarding assurances of safe passage from their Naquora headquarters.

Heavy shelling continues to pound the coastal road in the area, which is effectively under the control of the Israeli Army.

"The Israelis have asserted their full control from air and sea over the area south of Tyre," a Lebanese Army official told reporters. An army official added that UNIFIL does not have the capability, jurisdiction or authority to operate in times of violent hostilities.

"The Israeli warplanes are targeting all civilian or military cars, including UN bulldozers and forklifts needed to remove heavy rubble," the army official said. "We advise reporters and everyone else not to go beyond Al-Hosh; it is too risky."

Israeli is in no hurry to have images of dead UN personnel broadcast on the world's television networks, the official said. Read more