Israel has a new target. Even as Israeli forces bomb large parts of Lebanon and Gaza and raid and attack Palestinian communities in the West Bank, they have also in the past week repeatedly opened fire on United Nations peacekeepers. At least five soldiers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon have been injured at the agency’s bases in southern Lebanon where it is tasked with manning the Blue Line, which demarcates Lebanon from Israel and the Israel-occupied Golan Heights. On Sunday, the UNIFIL said Israeli troops had also forcibly entered a base; the UN mission had previously accused Israel of targeting its watchtowers and cameras. Israel has accused the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah, of using the UN peacekeepers as human shields but that well-worn defence has found few takers in the international community. The UN has accused Israel of deliberately attacking the peacekeeping mission. Even in the fog of war, it is clear that attacking UN peacekeepers is a violation of international law. The UNIFIL has rightly rejected the demand of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that the peacekeepers relocate at a time when Israeli troops have already invaded the sovereign territory of Lebanon.

Against this backdrop, India’s response to the Israeli attacks on peacekeepers is particularly important. As one of the world’s largest sources of UN peacekeepers — including in Lebanon — India has long played a leading role in trying to enforce the UN mandate for peace in hotspots around the globe. India first expressed concern over the attacks on the peacekeepers in Lebanon, then aligned itself with a statement issued by UNIFIL-contributing nations that condemned the firing on the peacekeepers. Yet India can and must do more. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who describes Mr Netanyahu as a friend, must let the Israeli leader know that attacking peacekeepers amounts to crossing a red line that even Tel Aviv’s friends cannot accept. Already, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more UN staffers than any previous conflict in the global body’s history. Israel has bombed UN-run schools, accused the UN agency responsible for Palestinian refugees of acting as a front for the militant group, Hamas, and recently declared the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, persona non grata. If Israel has decided to wage war on the UN itself, India and other democracies that believe in international law must hold it to account — or they will lack credibility when they ask others to abide by a rules-based order.