Khaberni - The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said that an Israeli tank fired near its forces on Monday, and warned that such attacks are "recurring worryingly".
UNIFIL has repeatedly reported in recent months that it has been subjected to Israeli gunfire near its personnel or towards them, and announced less than two weeks ago that an Israeli attack near its site in southern Lebanon resulted in one of its soldiers being slightly wounded.
UNIFIL stated in a statement, "UNIFIL peacekeepers observed the movement of two Merkava tanks from an Israeli army (occupation) site inside Lebanese territory, near Srada, deeper into Lebanon. The peacekeepers requested via liaison channels that the tanks stop their activities."
It added, "After a period of time, one of the tanks fired three shells from its main weapon, two of which landed about 150 meters from the peacekeeping forces. As the peacekeeping forces moved away to maintain their safety, they were continuously tracked by laser beams from the tanks," and no casualties were recorded.
The force considered that "attacks of this kind on clearly identified peacekeeping forces, performing their duties under Security Council Resolution 1701, have become alarmingly frequent. Such attacks constitute a serious violation of Resolution 1701."
Under the ceasefire agreement reached in November 2024, Israel was supposed to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, but it kept them at five points it considers strategic, and regularly carries out strikes in Lebanon, often claiming to target Hezbollah sites or elements.
The UN Security Council voted in August to extend UNIFIL's mandate until the end of the year 2026, prior to its withdrawal from Lebanon by the end of 2027.
