French President Emmanuel Macron announced Saturday that a French soldier serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had been killed in an attack in southern Lebanon, with three others wounded.
In a post on X, Macron identified the fallen soldier as Sergeant-Chief Florian Montorio of the 17th Engineer Parachute Regiment based in Montauban. He said Montorio died during a route-clearing mission to reach an isolated UNIFIL outpost when his unit came under ambush near the village of Ghandouriyé.
“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,” Macron stated. “Everything indicates that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah. France demands that Lebanese authorities immediately apprehend the perpetrators and assume their responsibilities alongside UNIFIL.”
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attack earlier in the day, saying he had ordered an immediate investigation to identify and arrest those responsible. According to a UNIFIL spokesperson speaking to AFP, the assault occurred Saturday morning when Montorio’s team was ambushed at close range by an armed group.
The incident marks the first known fatality among French peacekeepers in Lebanon during the current escalation of tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border. France maintains approximately 700 troops as part of the UNIFIL mission, which has monitored the ceasefire line since 2006.
