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UN peacekeepers conducting a patrol in southern Lebanon came under Israeli gunfire on Wednesday, prompting the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon to condemn the incident as a serious violation of international agreements governing the region.
UNIFIL reported that Israeli soldiers in a Merkava tank fired multiple bursts of machine-gun rounds at peacekeepers traveling in vehicles near the Sarda area along the Blue Line, the de facto border between Lebanon and Israel. The peacekeepers immediately contacted Israeli forces through established communication channels to request the firing cease. No injuries were reported in the incident.
According to UNIFIL's statement released Wednesday, one ten-round burst of machine-gun fire was directed above the convoy, followed by four additional ten-round bursts fired in the vicinity. Both the UN peacekeepers and the Israeli tank were positioned inside Lebanese territory at the time of the shooting.
The UN mission emphasized that Israeli forces had received advance notification of the patrol's location and timing, a standard protocol required for operations in sensitive areas near the Blue Line. UNIFIL called the incident a serious breach of Security Council Resolution 1701, which established the framework for peacekeeping operations in southern Lebanon following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The Tuesday shooting represents the latest in a series of confrontations between Israeli forces and UN personnel operating in the border region. UN peacekeeping patrols have faced multiple incidents in recent months, including laser targeting and warning shots. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, has characterized these encounters as extremely dangerous incidents.
UNIFIL called on Israeli forces to cease aggressive behaviour and attacks on or near peacekeepers working to rebuild stability along the Blue Line. The Israeli army did not respond to requests for comment on the statement.
The incident occurs against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire that took effect in Lebanon in November 2024, following more than a year of conflict that killed over 4,000 people and wounded 17,000 others. The violence unfolded as Israel conducted military operations in Gaza.
Since the ceasefire began, Lebanon's Health Ministry has documented 335 deaths and 973 injuries across 1,038 Israeli attacks. Under the ceasefire terms, Israeli forces were scheduled to complete their withdrawal from southern Lebanon in January 2025. However, Israeli troops have only conducted a partial pullout and continue to maintain military presence at five border outposts.
UNIFIL, established in 1978, operates with a mandate to monitor hostilities, assist Lebanese armed forces, and support humanitarian access in southern Lebanon. The force currently maintains approximately 10,000 peacekeepers from contributing nations deployed across the region.
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