The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says Israeli troops opened fire on one of its peacekeeping patrols in southern Lebanon on Sunday, marking the latest in a series of incidents as tensions rise along the border despite a yearlong ceasefire with Hezbollah.
UNIFIL reported that rounds from an Israeli Merkava tank struck the ground roughly five meters from its personnel near an Israeli position built on Lebanese territory. The peacekeepers said they were able to withdraw safely after the tank returned inside the Israeli-held area about 30 minutes later.
The incident shows growing concerns over repeated confrontations between Israeli forces and UN peacekeepers at a time when cross-border attacks continue almost daily.
In a statement, Israel’s military said the soldiers involved had misidentified the UN patrol as “suspects” due to poor visibility and adverse weather conditions.
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Lebanon’s army sharply rejected that explanation, calling the episode part of a pattern of ongoing violations.
“The army command affirms that it is working with friendly countries to put an end to the ongoing breaches by the Israeli enemy,” the Lebanese military said. It warned that the latest incident represented “a dangerous escalation” that required immediate international action.
UNIFIL has repeatedly urged Israel to halt what it describes as aggressive behavior directed at peacekeepers. On Sunday, the mission said the tank fire was a “serious violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the agreement that ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and formed the basis for the November 2024 truce.
Sunday’s encounter was not the first time UN peacekeepers have been placed at risk.
In September, UNIFIL said Israeli drones dropped four grenades near UN personnel in southern Lebanon, with one landing roughly 20 meters from peacekeepers and their vehicles.
The mission warned at the time that such actions undermined its ability to help maintain stability along the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated boundary between Israel and Lebanon.
UNIFIL, working alongside the Lebanese army, has been tasked with maintaining the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah since the two sides fought a widespread conflict in late 2023.
According to Lebanese authorities and international monitors, Israel’s 2023–2024 military campaign in Lebanon killed more than 4,000 people, most of them civilians, displaced more than one million residents, and destroyed dozens of villages.
Lebanon says Israel continues to occupy at least five points on its territory, despite obligations under the ceasefire agreement to withdraw.
Israel insists its ongoing strikes target Hezbollah facilities and fighters, though it has not provided evidence to substantiate those claims.
