According to the mission, bursts of heavy artillery landed just five metres from the UN peacekeepers while they were patrolling an area in Lebanese territory. The blue helmets were forced to take cover before contacting the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) through established communication channels to halt the firing.

UNIFIL said the patrol was able to withdraw safely about thirty minutes later, once the tank pulled back to IDF positions. “Fortunately, no one was injured,” the mission reported.

The IDF later told local media that the incident was the result of “misidentification” caused by poor weather conditions, insisting it had not intended to target UN personnel.

This marks the third such incident in three months. On September 2, IDF drones dropped four grenades close to peacekeepers clearing roadblocks near the Blue Line, the buffer zone separating Israel and Lebanon. On October 26, a grenade was dropped near another patrol, followed by tank fire directed at the peacekeepers.

UNIFIL warned that continued attacks jeopardise the mission’s ability to operate. “Yet again, we call on the IDF to cease any aggressive behaviour and attacks on or near peacekeepers,” the mission said, adding that its personnel are working to restore stability “to which both Israel and Lebanon say they seek”.

The latest incident comes as UNIFIL approaches the end of its mandate, with a planned withdrawal in 2027 after nearly fifty years in southern Lebanon. Established in 1978 to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the mission now comprises around 10 500 peacekeepers.

Following the end of hostilities in November 2024 between Israel and Hezbollah, UNIFIL has played a key role in supporting the Lebanese National Army’s redeployment into areas where state authority remains weak, amid heightened tensions and lingering military positions on both sides of the border.

–UN/ChannelAfrica–