UN, France Condemn Israeli Attack on Peacekeepers in Lebanon

DID Press: United Nations and France have strongly condemned an Israeli attack on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, calling it “dangerous and unacceptable.”

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said an Israeli drone dropped a hand grenade near a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol on Sunday, followed by tank fire. No casualties or damage were reported. “This is extremely dangerous and could have serious implications for regional stability,” he said.

UNIFIL works with the Lebanese army to enforce a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israel reportedly violates the truce almost daily. The French Foreign Ministry also condemned the shelling, noting it follows three similar incidents in early October.

Dujarric added that UN personnel have previously been targeted with laser beams and warning shots and that UNIFIL is in contact with the Israeli military to lodge formal protests.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel maintains five military positions in southern Lebanon. On Monday, an Israeli airstrike on the village of Al-Biyad in Tyre killed two brothers, targeting a sawmill, while earlier air raids killed three more people in southern and eastern Lebanon. Israeli authorities say the strikes target Hezbollah infrastructure, but Lebanese officials allege they aim to disrupt reconstruction efforts.