tensions are rising in southern Lebanon following an incident Sunday in which Israeli forces fired upon UN peacekeepers from UNIFIL. While Israel claims the shooting was not deliberately targeted and occurred due to misidentification in poor weather, the incident prompted a strong condemnation from UNIFIL and raises concerns about the stability of the ceasefire agreement brokered in November 2024 between Israel and Hezbollah [[2]]. The fragile truce, intended to end more than a year of conflict, is once again under scrutiny as both sides accuse the other of violations [[2]].
Israeli forces opened fire on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Sunday, prompting a strong rebuke from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Israel maintains the shooting was not deliberately targeted at the peacekeepers.
The incident comes as UNIFIL works alongside the Lebanese army to enforce a ceasefire agreement that ended more than a year of conflict, including two months of open warfare, between the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and Israel. The ceasefire, which began on November 27, 2024, aims to stabilize a volatile region.
According to a UNIFIL statement, “This morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired upon UNIFIL peacekeepers from a Merkava tank positioned near an established Israeli position in Lebanese territory.”
The statement detailed that heavy machine gun fire came within approximately five meters of the peacekeepers on foot, forcing them to take cover. They were able to depart the area half an hour later, after the tank had moved away.
The IDF claimed in a statement that its troops mistook the UN soldiers for “suspects” due to “poor weather conditions.” They added that troops “accordingly fired warning shots.” After verification, “it was established that the suspects were UN soldiers on patrol in the area.”
“The IDF emphasizes that no deliberate fire was directed towards UNIFIL soldiers,” the statement continued, adding that the incident “is under review.”
UNIFIL condemned the shooting as “a serious violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah and forms the basis of the November ceasefire agreement.
Resolution 1701 stipulates that only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL peacekeepers are authorized to deploy in southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border. The development highlights the ongoing challenges to maintaining stability in the region.
UNIFIL urged “the IDF to cease all aggressive behavior and attacks against or near UNIFIL peacekeepers, who are striving to restore the stability that both Israel and Lebanon say they seek.”
The Lebanese army, for its part, stated that Israel’s “ongoing violations” require “immediate action,” characterizing them as “a dangerous escalation.” It added that these acts are hindering “the full deployment of the army in the south.”
Both the United Nations and France previously condemned Israeli gunfire near UNIFIL troops in southern Lebanon in late October. In September, the UN force reported that Israeli drones dropped four grenades near its positions, with Israel claiming at the time there was “no intentional fire” directed at them.
Despite the ceasefire, the Israeli army continues to occupy five positions in southern Lebanon, bordering northern Israel, and regularly carries out strikes on Lebanese territory, claiming to target Hezbollah.
