Israel Accuses UN Peacekeepers in Lebanon of Downing IDF Intelligence Drone
PM Netanyahu vows Israel will act independently to safeguard its borders and people, saying the nation “needs no one’s approval” to defend itself.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — The Israeli military on Monday accused United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon of deliberately shooting down one of its drones during a routine intelligence mission near the border, in what Israel described as a “serious and unjustified act” that endangered regional stability.
“Yesterday, an IDF intelligence-gathering drone was downed in the area of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon during a routine intelligence-gathering activity,” Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said on X.
“An initial inquiry suggests that UNIFIL forces stationed nearby deliberately fired at the drone and downed it. The drone’s activity did not pose a threat to UNIFIL forces.”
Following the incident, Israeli troops dropped a grenade toward the area where the unmanned aircraft fell but did not fire directly at the peacekeepers, the military said.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) claimed its troops acted defensively, saying the drone flew “aggressively” over its patrol.
Border tensions and Hezbollah presence
The episode comes amid heightened tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, where Hezbollah continues to operate despite a UN resolution mandating the group’s withdrawal north of the Litani River.
Although a ceasefire deal last year required both sides to pull back, Israel has maintained limited forces at several key positions it considers vital for preventing further cross-border infiltration attempts.
Israeli officials say intelligence missions in southern Lebanon are essential to monitor Hezbollah’s ongoing violations of the ceasefire and its continued military buildup near Israeli communities.
Jerusalem insists that Hezbollah’s deployment—backed and armed by Iran—poses a direct threat to Israel’s sovereignty and civilian security.
Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led assault that killed more than 1,200 Israelis, including hundreds of civilians, Israel has vowed to prevent a repeat of such atrocities.
Military experts note that Hezbollah has long coordinated with Hamas and shares similar ideological and operational goals, raising fears of a wider two-front confrontation.
Netanyahu: “Israel will defend itself, no matter what”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday reaffirmed that Israel would act independently to secure its borders. “Israel is an independent state. We will defend ourselves by our own means, and we will continue to determine our fate,” he told cabinet ministers.
“We do not seek anyone’s approval for this. We control our security,” Netanyahu added.
His comments followed a series of Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah operatives in southern and eastern Lebanon.
The military said it had eliminated Ali Hussein al-Mousawi, a known weapons dealer and smuggler for Hezbollah, and Abd Mahmoud al-Sayed, a local Hezbollah field representative.
Lebanon’s health ministry said the strikes killed three people, including a Syrian national, but Israel maintains they were legitimate operations against armed militants planning future attacks.
Calls for accountability and UN impartiality
Jerusalem has long criticized UNIFIL for what it views as a lack of enforcement against Hezbollah’s violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war.
Israeli officials argue that peacekeepers have failed to prevent the group from rearming and rebuilding its tunnel networks along the border.
Israeli security experts contend that UNIFIL’s latest actions—downing an Israeli surveillance drone—undermine its neutrality and embolden Hezbollah’s presence in southern Lebanon.
“If UN peacekeepers obstruct legitimate Israeli security operations, they risk playing into Hezbollah’s hands,” said a senior Israeli defense official.
Under sustained U.S. mediation, Lebanon’s government has pledged to begin disarming Hezbollah, though the Iran-backed faction has resisted.
Israeli defense officials warn that without decisive international pressure, Hezbollah’s continued entrenchment near the border could trigger another major conflict.
For Israel, maintaining aerial surveillance and a limited ground presence near volatile border zones remains essential to ensure that the horrors of October 7 are never repeated.
As Netanyahu reiterated, Israel’s defensive operations are “not acts of aggression but acts of survival — the duty of any nation determined to protect its people.”
