The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported on Friday that Israeli positions fired shotgun and machine gun rounds that landed dangerously close to UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon. Although no casualties were reported, the UN mission condemned the incidents, describing them as part of a worrying pattern of repeated occurrences near the Blue Line border area.
According to UNIFIL, peacekeepers were on patrol when the first incident occurred, with 15 small-arms rounds landing just 50 meters away. Shortly afterward, another patrol in the same area came under fire from around 100 machine gun rounds. The peacekeepers identified the source of the gunfire as Israeli military positions located south of the Blue Line. UNIFIL stated that it had previously informed Israeli forces of its patrol activities and later communicated through established channels to request a halt to the firing.
In its statement, UNIFIL urged Israeli forces to cease attacks on peacekeepers operating near the Blue Line, emphasizing that such actions threaten peace and stability in the region.