BEIRUT (Dispatches) -- The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Sunday reported an Israeli attack on its peacekeeping personnel in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, UNIFIL said that an Israeli drone dropped a grenade on Saturday, which exploded near one of the mission’s positions in Kafer Kela and lightly injured one peacekeeper.
Two Israeli drones were spotted flying near the position before the explosion, the statement added.
“This is the second IDF (Israeli military) grenade attack on peacekeepers this month. It represents another serious violation of resolution 1701 and concerning disregard for the safety of peacekeepers implementing their mandate from the Security Council,” the UN mission said.
It renewed its call for the Israeli military to halt attacks on or near UN peacekeepers. UNIFIL has operated in southern Lebanon since 1978 and was significantly reinforced under UN Security Council Resolution 1701 after the 2006 war between Israel and the Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah.
Cross-border warfare between Hezbollah and Israeli forces began in October 2023. It escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring 17,000.
A ceasefire was reached in November, but Israel has conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon since then, claiming to target Hezbollah activities.
Israel was expected to complete its full withdrawal from southern Lebanon earlier this year; however, it continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned ongoing Israeli attacks on its territory, calling them a “blatant violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which outlines the cessation of hostilities between the two sides.
In a statement, the ministry denounced Israel’s continued and repeated acts of aggression, the latest of which targeted the village of Al-Mansouri in the southern Sidon region.
The statement said the Israeli regime’s persistent shelling and attacks constitute a clear breach of international law and efforts to maintain peace, adding Tel Aviv is deliberately hindering reconstruction efforts in southern Lebanon.
Earlier this week, an Israeli quadcopter carried out four consecutive strikes on the town of Houla on October 8, including the shelling of a local café, as part of Israel’s ongoing border violations.
The ministry warned that such attacks, continuing since the November 2024 ceasefire, highlight the fragility of the truce and the ongoing threat to civilians in the south.