UNIFIL Says Israeli Tank Fire Targeted Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon
UNIFIL said Israeli tanks advanced into southern Lebanon and fired shells near its peacekeepers, calling the incidents “disturbingly common” and a serious violation of UN Resolution 1701, though no casualties were reported.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - United Nations peacekeepers stationed along the Israel–Lebanon border came under fire after Israeli tanks advanced and opened fire near their positions, prompting UNIFIL to warn that attacks against its forces are occurring with alarming frequency.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said an Israeli tank fired near its peacekeepers on Monday, describing the incident as part of a pattern of increasingly frequent attacks directed toward its personnel.
In a statement, UNIFIL said its peacekeepers observed two Merkava tanks move from an Israeli army position inside Lebanese territory further into Lebanon. The force noted that it had repeatedly reported Israeli fire near or toward its personnel in recent months, adding that less than two weeks earlier, gunfire from an Israeli position struck close to peacekeepers on two occasions.
According to the statement, UNIFIL peacekeepers requested through liaison channels that the tanks halt their activity. The force said that one of the tanks subsequently fired three shells from its main gun, with two impacts landing approximately 150 meters away from the peacekeepers. UNIFIL added that as its personnel moved away for safety, they were continuously tracked by laser from the tanks.
The statement reported no casualties and said UNIFIL had informed the Israeli army in advance of its activities in the area.
“Attacks like these on identifiable peacekeepers are becoming disturbingly common,” the statement said, urging an immediate end to such incidents.
UNIFIL described the episode as “a serious violation” of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and serves as the foundation of the current truce.
UNIFIL has acted as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon for decades and has recently been working alongside the Lebanese army to support a year-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Under the November 2024 truce, Israel was expected to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon. However, it has retained troops in five areas it considers strategic and has continued to carry out strikes in Lebanon, typically stating that the targets are Hezbollah sites and operatives.
Amid heavy US pressure and fears of an expansion of Israeli strikes, Beirut has committed to disarming Hezbollah. Lebanon’s army announced last week that it had completed disarmament operations in the area near the border.
UNIFIL’s current mandate expires later this year, with plans for the force to withdraw fully from Lebanon in 2027.
As UNIFIL warns of repeated violations and near-misses involving its personnel, the incident underscores growing concerns over the safety of peacekeepers and the fragility of the ceasefire along the southern Lebanon front.