Israel Fires on UN Peacekeepers

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has reported that Israeli forces opened fire on its peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Sunday. According to UNIFIL, the shots were fired from an Israeli position using a Merkava tank, and heavy machine-gun rounds struck the ground approximately five metres from the peacekeepers on patrol.

The Israeli military acknowledged the incident but insisted that the peacekeepers were misidentified as “suspected individuals” due to poor weather conditions. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said troops had detected two suspicious figures in the al-Hamames area and subsequently fired warning shots, believing them to pose a potential threat. Only later, following an internal review, did the IDF conclude that the individuals were UN personnel carrying out a routine patrol.

UNIFIL reported that its patrol team was unable to move immediately due to the presence of the Israeli tank, but managed to withdraw safely around thirty minutes later once the vehicle had retreated to an Israeli position. No injuries were reported, though UNIFIL described the incident as extremely serious.

The peacekeeping mission, which operates jointly with the Lebanese Army, plays a central role in monitoring the ceasefire agreement reached last November between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. UNIFIL emphasised that Sunday’s incident represents a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah war and forms the legal basis for peacekeeping activity in the area.

Although Israel was obliged under the ceasefire arrangement to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, it has retained a presence in five locations it considers strategically essential. Israeli forces have continued periodic strikes into Lebanese territory, asserting that their targets are Hezbollah members and military infrastructure.

UNIFIL noted that this is not the first time its personnel have been placed at risk by Israeli fire and again urged the IDF to cease all aggressive behaviour in the vicinity of peacekeepers, stressing that such incidents heighten tensions along an already volatile border.