UNIFIL patrol attacked in southern Lebanon, no casualties reported

A patrol belonging to the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was fired upon in the south of the country, the mission reported on Tuesday.

According to UNIFIL, roughly a dozen shots were directed at the patrol near Wadi Jilu, in the Tyre district, though the mission did not identify who was responsible for the gunfire. The peacekeepers returned fire, which brought the shooting to a stop. No injuries were reported, and UNIFIL has called for the incident to be investigated.

The mission stressed that all parties are bound under international law to guarantee the protection of UN staff and assets, adding that intentional assaults on peacekeepers breach Security Council Resolution 1701 as well as international humanitarian law.

UNIFIL was set up by the UN Security Council in March 1978, shortly after Israel's invasion of Lebanon, and has since served as a buffer force between the two countries. Despite its long-standing presence, it has not been able to stop repeated outbreaks of conflict, including the most recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel still maintains control over parts of southern Lebanon, even though a ceasefire and a framework deal brokered by the United States call for Israeli forces to pull out of these zones while the Lebanese army takes over to disarm Hezbollah.

Separately, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said G7 foreign ministers had agreed on Tuesday that a security gap in Lebanon must be avoided once UNIFIL's mandate concludes at the end of 2026.