UN: Israeli military fired on peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

The United Nations on Thursday accused the Israeli military of firing on peacekeeper missions in southern Lebanon as Israel conducts a cross-border operation inside the country.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement on the social platform X that Israeli soldiers inside the country have clashed with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and its headquarters in the city of Naqoura, and “nearby positions have been repeatedly hit.”

“We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of U.N. personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of U.N. premises at all times,” the UNIFIL said, using the acronym for the Israeli military’s official name.

The organization said two peacekeepers were injured by an Israeli tank that fired toward an observation tower at the Naqoura headquarters, and soldiers fired at a peacekeeper bunker and shelter in the town of Labbouneh, damaging vehicles and a communication infrastructure. It also blamed Israel for destroying monitoring and relay equipment.

“Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of Security Council resolution 1701,” the UNIFIL said. “We are following up with the IDF on these matters.”

The Israeli military said in a post on X that Hezbollah operates near civilian areas in Lebanon.

“The IDF is operating in southern Lebanon and maintains routine communication with UNIFIL,” the Israeli military said.

“IDF troops operated in the area of Naqoura, next to a UNIFIL base. Accordingly, the IDF instructed the UN forces in the area to remain in protected spaces, after which the forces opened fire in the area.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a Thursday briefing that she did not have enough information on the incident to comment on it.

“Obviously, peacekeepers, we want them to be safe and protected,” she said.

Israel began operations in Lebanon at the end of September after a year of cross-border attacks from Hezbollah, which has launched rockets in solidarity with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

The rocket attacks have displaced some 60,000 Israelis that Israel has vowed to return. The Israeli military moved into Lebanon after decimating Hezbollah’s command structure, including taking out its leader last month.

But Israel is facing scrutiny over the Lebanon operations, which have killed more than 2,000 people since October 2023, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. More than 1 million people have also been displaced.

The Israeli military has also received condemnation for operations in Gaza, which have killed more than 42,000 people since Hamas initiated the war on Oct. 7, invading southern Israel and killing nearly 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages.