United Nations peacekeepers will stay in all positions in Lebanon despite Israeli calls for them to move amid intensifying fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and five blue helmets suffering injuries, the UN peacekeeping chief has said.

According to AFP, Israel has faced severe criticism over injuries and damage sustained by the UN peacekeeping force, which has been deployed in Lebanon since the first of Israel’s four major ground offensives against its neighbour in 1978.

“The decision was made that Unifil would currently stay in all its positions in spite of the calls that were made by the Israel Defence Forces to vacate the positions that are in the vicinity of the Blue Line,” said UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

“I want to emphasise that this decision still remains,” he said, adding that the plan was confirmed earlier Monday by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.