UNIFIL Reports 2 UN Troops Injured By Israeli Tank Fire, Several Other Close Calls

Last updated on October 11th, 2024 at 04:36 pm

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), a UN multinational peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, has reported Israeli forces wounded two UNIFIL soldiers with tank fire on Oct. 10.

“In the past days we have seen incursions from Israel into Lebanon in Naqoura and other areas. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers have clashed with Hizbullah elements on the ground in Lebanon. UNIFIL’s Naqoura headquarters and nearby positions have been repeatedly hit,” UNIFIL said in a Thursday press statement.

According to UNIFIL, the Israeli operations around the U.N. peacekeeping force have escalated over the past week.

“This morning, two peacekeepers were injured after an IDF Merkava tank fired its weapon toward an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting it and causing them to fall. The injuries are fortunately, this time, not serious, but they remain in hospital,” the UN force said.

Israeli forces also allegedly fired on a UNIFIL position near Labbouneh, striking the entrance of a bunker housing UN troops, and damaging vehicles and a communications system.

UNIFIL said an Israeli drone also flew up to the entrance of the Labbouneh UNIFIL bunker.

The UN force reported Israeli troops shot out perimeter-monitoring cameras at the Labbouneh UNIFIL position on Oct. 9.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment concerning the incidents.

UNIFIL was established in 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s invasion that year. UNIFIL’s mission has expanded since then, and they now monitor for compliance with UN-brokered ceasefire agreements between Israel and Hezbollah.

Despite UNIFIL’s presence, Israel and Hezbollah have continued to trade fire over the years.

Hezbollah has been in a renewed state of battle with Israel since Oct. 8, 2023; the day after Hamas fighters carried out widespread attacks across southern Israel.

On Oct. 8, 2023, Hezbollah launched a salvo of drones and missiles at Shebaa Farms; a disputed section of territory along the Israeli-Lebanese border currently controlled by Israel. Israeli forces returned fire on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, and the two sides have continued to trade fire over the past year.

Israeli forces have expanded their counter-Hezbollah operations in recent weeks, ramping up aerial bombing across Lebanon, and sending ground forces across the Israel-Lebanon border on Sept. 30.

Though ostensibly only targeting Hezbollah, the Israeli ground operation has put Israeli troops at odds with the Lebanese Armed Forces, and UNIFIL. Israeli forces have urged Lebanese government and U.N. troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon, but have had little success.

Israeli forces have fired on the Lebanese government troops multiple times, killing at least two Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese Armed Forces reported they returned fire, after Israeli fire killed a Lebanese soldier on Oct. 3.