A United Nations peacekeeper was injured by gunfire in southern Lebanon, marking the fifth such incident in recent days, according to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The peacekeeper was struck at the mission’s headquarters in Naqoura on Friday night amid intense military activity nearby, though the source of the fire remains unclear, UNIFIL said in a statement.
The injured soldier underwent surgery to remove the bullet and is now in stable condition, the statement added.
US President Joe Biden has urged Israel to cease firing at UN peacekeepers following similar incidents on Thursday and Friday. The Israeli military has launched a ground invasion in southern Lebanon as part of its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah, with whom cross-border skirmishes have become a daily occurrence over the past year.
Despite the violence, UNIFIL confirmed its peacekeepers would not withdraw from the area, despite Israeli forces advising them to do so. A spokesperson for the UN mission said that a “unanimous decision” was made to remain stationed in the border region.
On Friday, a UNIFIL position in Ramyah village suffered severe damage from nearby shelling. The peacekeeping mission called on all parties to ensure the safety of UN personnel and avoid conducting combat operations near their positions.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged responsibility for another incident on Friday, where two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were injured in Naqoura. Israeli soldiers opened fire after perceiving a threat near the UN base. The IDF has promised a thorough investigation into the matter. Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry has condemned the attack.
Two Indonesian peacekeepers were also injured on Thursday when an Israeli tank fired on their observation tower, causing them to fall. The chief of staff of the Irish Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, said the strike appeared deliberate and was unlikely to have been accidental.
International condemnation has followed these incidents, with the leaders of France, Italy, and Spain jointly denouncing Israel’s actions and calling for an immediate end to the attacks.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes north and south of Beirut have killed nine people. The IDF has instructed residents in 23 southern Lebanese villages to evacuate further north, as Hezbollah continues to fire rockets into Israel, prompting Israeli air defenses to intercept several projectiles.
Approximately 10,000 UN peacekeepers from 50 nations are stationed in Lebanon, alongside 800 civilian personnel. Since 1978, they have monitored the border area between Lebanon and Israel, known as the “Blue Line.”
Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group, has escalated rocket attacks into northern Israel since October last year, following Hamas’s assault on southern Israel. Hezbollah claims its actions are in solidarity with the Palestinians and have vowed to cease fire if a truce is reached between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Israel has escalated its response against Hezbollah, with airstrikes and a ground invasion targeting southern Lebanon and Beirut. The Lebanese government reports that over 2,000 people have been killed in the recent escalation, with hundreds of thousands displaced.
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