The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a statement saying that, this morning, an Israeli army Merkava tank opened fire on UNIFIL peacekeepers near a site that Israel has established inside Lebanese territory.
According to the statement, heavy machine-gun fire struck near the peacekeepers, landing about five meters away, as they were moving on foot and were forced to take cover in the area.
Through UNIFIL’s liaison channels, the peacekeepers called on the Israeli Defense Forces to immediately cease fire. They were able to withdraw safely thirty minutes later, once the Merkava tank had pulled back inside the Israeli position. Fortunately, no one was injured.
UNIFIL stressed that this incident constitutes a serious violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
“Once again, we urge the Israeli Defense Forces to stop any aggressive actions or attacks targeting peacekeeping troops or occurring near them. Our forces are working to support efforts aimed at restoring stability — a goal that both Israel and Lebanon say they are seeking,” the statement concluded.
The Israeli military, for its part, stated in a communiqué that “no deliberate fire was directed toward UNIFIL soldiers,” adding that “the incident is under examination.”
It further noted that “after a review, it was determined that the individuals in question were UN soldiers who were conducting a patrol in the area and were classified as suspects due to poor weather conditions.”
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