UN and France Condemn Israeli Attack on Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon

The United Nations and France have sharply condemned an Israeli strike that targeted UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, warning that such actions risk igniting a broader regional escalation.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that the attack, which involved an Israeli drone dropping a grenade near a UN patrol and a tank opening fire close to the border town of Kfar Kila, was “very, very dangerous.”

“It’s not the first time that we feel we’ve been targeted in different ways by the Israeli army — including lasers or warning shots,” Dujarric said, adding that UNIFIL officials were in contact with the Israeli military to “protest vehemently.”

France’s Foreign Ministry issued its own statement condemning “the Israeli fire that targeted a UNIFIL detachment,” noting that it followed similar incidents on October 1, 2, and 11.

UNIFIL works alongside the Lebanese army to maintain the ceasefire agreed last year between Israel and Hezbollah. That truce has grown increasingly fragile as Israel continues near-daily strikes across the border.

On Sunday, UNIFIL reported that an Israeli drone flew “aggressively” over one of its patrols. Peacekeepers “applied necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralize the drone,” according to the mission, though no casualties were reported.

Still, the attacks mark a serious breach of the ceasefire framework. Israel continues to occupy five positions in southern Lebanon, and its strikes have killed several civilians in recent days, including two brothers in a sawmill in al-Bayyad on Monday, according to Lebanon’s state news agency ANI.

The Israeli army claimed its Sunday operations targeted a Hezbollah arms dealer and another individual allegedly helping the group rebuild its “military capacity.” Lebanese officials, however, accuse Israel of deliberately hitting reconstruction sites and civilian infrastructure to slow the country’s recovery.

Hezbollah, significantly weakened by months of Israeli bombardment, has warned that it remains ready to defend itself.

“The possibility of war exists but is uncertain; it depends on their calculations,” Hezbollah deputy leader Naim Qassem said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the United States is pressing Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah entirely, a demand viewed by Beirut as unrealistic amid ongoing Israeli attacks. Washington’s Middle East envoy, Morgan Ortagus, arrived in Beirut late Monday for talks with Lebanese leaders.