Israeli strike injures UN peacekeeper in southern Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says an Israeli strike in the southern part of the country injured a peacekeeper, reasserting renewed calls for the Tel Aviv regime to “halt aggressive actions” in the region.

The multinational peacekeeping mission said in a statement on Friday that heavy machine-gun fire from Israeli military positions, located south of the demarcation line separating the Israeli-occupied territories and Lebanon, landed near a patrol investigating a roadblock in the village of Bastarra.

The statement added that the gunfire came after a grenade explosion occurred in the vicinity.

Although the incident did not result in damage to UN equipment, one peacekeeper suffered a minor ear concussion, UNIFIL noted.

A separate incident took place the same day in Kfarchouba, where another patrol on routine operations came under “close-range” machine-gun fire from the Israeli side.

UNIFIL emphasized that the Israeli army had been notified of both patrols’ movements in advance, in accordance with established coordination procedures.

“Attacks on or near peacekeepers are serious violations of Security Council Resolution 1701,” the mission said, urging Israeli troops to cease “aggressive behavior” against personnel.

The resolution, which brokered a ceasefire in the 33-day-long war Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on the occupying Tel Aviv regime to respect Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity.

UNIFIL says Israeli forces fired on peacekeepers in Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said Israeli forces had fired on its peacekeepers in the country

Earlier this month, UNIFIL reported that Israeli forces had opened fire on its peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon.

Last month, it said Israeli soldiers had fired at its troops in the south. The Israeli military, however, stated that it had mistaken the blue helmets for “suspects” and had only fired warning shots.

In October, UNIFIL stated that one of its members had been injured by an Israeli grenade dropped near a United Nations position in the southern part of the country. This marked the third such incident within a little over a month.

“Attacks on or near peacekeepers are serious violations of Security Council resolution 1701,” the peacekeeping force added, referring to the 2006 resolution that formed the basis of the November 2024 truce.

UNIFIL reiterated its call to the Israeli army to “cease aggressive behavior and attacks on or near peacekeepers working for peace and stability along the Blue Line.”

Tensions have been escalating in southern Lebanon for weeks as Israel carries out near-daily airstrikes inside the Lebanese territory, alleging that its attacks target Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

Since the ceasefire took effect last year, Israeli attacks have killed more than 340 Lebanese citizens.

Between October 2023 and November 2024, Israeli strikes killed more than 3,961 people in Lebanon, including 736 women, 222 health and rescue workers, and 248 children, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

Under the truce agreement, Israeli forces were expected to withdraw from southern Lebanon by January. However, the withdrawal has been only partial, with a continued military presence at five border outposts.

On December 18, French, Saudi Arabian, and American representatives convened in Paris with the leader of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to discuss and finalize a roadmap aimed at establishing a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah.

The meeting came as part of continued pressure aimed at forcing Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah.

The resistance group maintains it will not disarm while Israel occupies southern Lebanon and carries out attacks in the region.

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