BEIRUT: The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Sunday that Israeli forces opened fire on its patrol in southern Lebanon, calling the incident a “serious violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. According to the force, rounds fired from an Israeli Merkava tank landed roughly five metres from the peacekeepers as they operated near a position Israel has established inside Lebanese territory.
UNIFIL stated that Israeli troops have endangered its personnel multiple times in recent months and urged the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to stop all “aggressive behaviour” near peacekeepers. Despite the close-range fire, the patrol was able to leave the area safely after the tank withdrew.
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Lebanon’s army condemned the incident, accusing Israel of repeatedly violating Lebanese sovereignty and undermining stability in the south. The army, which is mandated to deploy jointly with UNIFIL under the ceasefire agreement, said it is working with international partners to halt such ongoing violations.
Israel, however, denied intentionally targeting the UN troops. The IDF said the soldiers fired warning shots at what they believed were “two suspects” in the El Hamames area and blamed poor weather conditions for the misidentification. A review later determined that the individuals were UN peacekeepers on routine patrol.
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UNIFIL has been monitoring the implementation of Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and remains the basis of last year’s truce. The mission says Israel continues to violate the agreement by maintaining positions inside Lebanon and conducting regular strikes. The IDF said Sunday’s incident remains under examination.