“Israeli” Forces Opens Fire on UN Forces

By Staff, Agencies

UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon say "Israeli" Occupation Forces [IOF] opened fire on one of their patrols, calling the incident part of a pattern of increasingly aggressive "Israeli" conduct along the border.

"Israel" acknowledged the shooting but claimed it was accidental, attributing it to poor weather conditions.

In a statement on Sunday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL] said the IOF fired on personnel from a Merkava tank.

It called the incident “a serious violation” of the ceasefire deal between "Israel" and Lebanon that ended the 2006 war, stressing that it was not the first attack of this kind.

“Yet again, we call on the [IDF] to cease any aggressive behavior and attacks on or near peacekeepers, who are working to support the return to the stability that both 'Israel' and Lebanon say they seek.”

"Israel" confirmed that its forces fired on UN troops, but claimed it was by mistake. The IOF said its forces had identified “two suspects” in the El-Hamames area and fired warning shots, after which the individuals withdrew, with no injuries reported.

After reviewing the incident, the IOF said the suspects “were UN soldiers who were conducting a patrol in the area and were classified as suspects due to poor weather conditions,” adding that “no deliberate fire was directed toward UNIFIL soldiers.”

Lebanon accused "Israel" of “violating Lebanese sovereignty, causing instability and obstructing the full deployment of the army in the south.”