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A French soldier serving with the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon was killed Saturday in an ambush in the village of Ghanduriyah in southern Lebanon.
French President Emmanuel Macron, U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Lebanese authorities all pointed to Hezbollah as the likely perpetrator, as UNIFIL said the attack "may amount to war crimes" and launched its own investigation, just hours after a 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire took effect.
French President Macron announced the death on X, identifying the soldier as Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment from Montauban.
"Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah. France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and assume their responsibilities alongside UNIFIL," Macron said.
"The nation bows in respect and extends its support to the families of our soldiers and to all our military personnel engaged for peace in Lebanon," he added.
Macron held phone calls with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, urging them to "guarantee the security of UNIFIL soldiers."
Three other French soldiers were wounded and evacuated.
French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin provided the operational details.
"He was ambushed by an armed group at very close range as his unit was heading to a UNIFIL outpost that had been cut off for several days by combat in the area. Montorio was hit by a direct shot from a small-arms weapon. He was pulled to safety by his comrades under fire but they were unable to resuscitate him," Vautrin said.
She said Montorio had served France for 18 years, deploying to defend French citizens and fight terrorism, and closed her statement, "France will not forget."
UNIFIL confirmed the attack in a statement, saying peacekeepers "came under small-arms fire from non-state actors" while "clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the village of Ghanduriyah" en route to an isolated outpost.
"Tragically, one peacekeeper succumbed to his injuries and three others were injured, two of them seriously," it said. Its initial assessment indicated the incoming fire was "allegedly Hezbollah."
UNIFIL launched its own investigation into what it said "may amount to war crimes."
UNIFIL called the attack "deliberate" and urged Lebanon to "swiftly initiate an investigation to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable," citing violations of international humanitarian law and U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
Lebanese President Aoun called Macron to express condolences, condemning the attack and ordering an immediate investigation.
"Lebanon will not hesitate to pursue those involved and bring them to justice. Lebanon categorically rejects any attack on UNIFIL and is committed to ensuring the safety of these forces," Aoun's office said.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed that French peacekeepers had come under attack and ordered an investigation into the incident.
"I condemn in the strongest terms today’s attack on members of the French battalion in UNIFIL," Salam said, referring to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, adding that he issued "strict instructions for an immediate investigation to uncover the circumstances of this attack and hold the perpetrators accountable."
Montorio is the fourth UNIFIL peacekeeper killed this year.
Three Indonesian peacekeepers died last month, a preliminary U.N. investigation found one was killed by Israeli tank fire while two others were killed by an IED likely planted by Hezbollah.
UNIFIL has also recorded other incidents involving Israeli forces: in April, Israeli soldiers destroyed surveillance cameras at UNIFIL's headquarters, and last week an Israeli tank twice rammed peacekeeping vehicles, causing damage but no injuries.
UNIFIL's mandate concludes at the end of this year.
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