UN says peacekeepers came under Israeli fire in southern Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday that Israeli forces fired multiple bursts of machine-gun fire near a UN peacekeeping patrol along the UN-demarcated Blue Line, causing no casualties.The Israeli military later said that the shots were not aimed at the peacekeepers but at a suspect.UNIFIL said peacekeepers in vehicles were conducting a routine patrol near the village of Sarda on Tuesday when an Israeli Merkava tank opened fire."One burst of 10 rounds was fired over the patrol, followed by four additional 10-round bursts landing nearby," the statement said.The mission said the peacekeepers immediately contacted the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) through UNIFIL liaison channels to demand an end to the shooting."Attacks on or near peacekeepers constitute a serious violation of Resolution 1701," the statement said, urging Israel to halt what UNIFIL called aggressive behaviour toward forces mandated to maintain stability along the frontier. UN Resolution 1701 ended the 2006 Lebanon War.UNIFIL noted that both the tank and the patrol were located inside Lebanese territory at the time.Israel: Warning shots by soldiers at suspectThe IDF said in a statement that soldiers had identified a suspect approaching an Israeli base and fired warning shots at him."During the warning fire, UNIFIL forces contacted the IDF claiming they heard gunfire in their direction. It was clarified to them that the fire was not aimed at them or in their direction, but at the approaching threat in the area," the IDF said.The military emphasized that it was not acting against UN troops and would continue to cooperate extensively with their representatives.Repeated violations of ceasefireThe incident comes amid a period of Israeli military activity along the Lebanese-Israeli border, where Israel has been carrying almost daily strikes against pro-Iranian Hezbollah positions.Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in November 2024 after more than a year of cross-border fire, though both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the deal since then.A key element of the ceasefire agreement is the disarmament of Hezbollah, a politically sensitive process that has been sought unsuccessfully in Lebanon for decades.Israel and its northern neighbour remain formally in a state of war. Lebanon's president recently signalled openness to new negotiations with Israel.UNIFIL reiterated that its personnel remain committed to preventing further deterioration and maintaining channels of communication between the parties.
