A United Nations peacekeeping patrol in southern Lebanon came under fire, the UN force known as UNIFIL said on Tuesday. The mission said “about a dozen rounds” were aimed at one of its patrols near Wadi Jilu, in Lebanon’s Tyre district, but did not say who carried out the shooting.
The patrol returned fire, and the shooting then stopped. UNIFIL reported no casualties and called for an investigation. The mission stressed that all parties must protect UN personnel and property at all times, and said deliberate attacks on peacekeepers breach Security Council resolution 1701 and international humanitarian law.
UNIFIL’s role amid Israeli presence in Lebanon
The Security Council set up UNIFIL in March 1978, days after Israel invaded Lebanon. The force has since acted as a buffer between the two countries, but it has not been able to prevent several rounds of conflict, the most recent being between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel still occupies large areas of southern Lebanon. This is despite a so-called ceasefire and a US-brokered framework under which Israeli forces would pull back and the Lebanese army would move in to disarm Hezbollah.
G7 talks in Paris on Lebanon’s future security
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Tuesday that G7 foreign ministers agreed on “the need to avoid a security void” in Lebanon once the UNIFIL mandate expires at the end of 2026. The ministers, meeting in Paris, also backed moving quickly toward a new security architecture, Barrot said.
Barrot acknowledged, however, that there had been no breakthrough on replacing UNIFIL, which has some 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries. The Security Council voted last year, under US pressure, to end the mandate on December 31, 2026. Lebanese officials have called for the mandate to be extended.
