BEIRUT: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said on Wednesday that Israeli forces fired on its peacekeepers a day earlier in the country’s south, urging Israel’s army to “cease aggressive behaviour”.

It is the latest such incident reported by the peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, where UNIFIL acts as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon and has been working with Lebanon’s army to support a year-old truce between Israel and militant group Hezbollah.

“Yesterday, peacekeepers in vehicles patrolling the Blue Line were fired upon by IDF (Israeli army) soldiers in a Merkava tank,” a UNIFIL statement said, referring to the de facto border.

“One ten-round burst of machine-gun fire was fired above the convoy, and four further ten-round bursts were fired nearby,” the statement said.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi declines invitation to visit Iran

It said both the peacekeepers and the Israeli tank were in Lebanese territory at the time of the incident and that the Israeli military had been informed of the location and timing of the peacekeeping patrol in advance.

“Peacekeepers asked the IDF to stop firing through UNIFIL’s liaison channels… Fortunately, no one was injured,” it said.

“Attacks on or near peacekeepers are serious violations of (UN) Security Council Resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said on Wednesday, referring to the 2006 resolution that formed the basis of the November 2024 truce.

“We call on the IDF to cease aggressive behaviour and attacks on or near peacekeepers working to rebuild stability along the Blue Line,” the peacekeepers said. Israel carries out regular attacks on Lebanon despite the truce, usually saying it is targeting sites and operatives belonging to Hezbollah, which it accuses of rearming.

It has also kept troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic.

Invitation to visit Iran

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi on Wednesday declined an invitation to visit Iran, which backs militant group Hezbollah, proposing a meeting with his Iranian counterpart in a neutral third country.

Under heavy US pressure and fears of expanded Israeli strikes, Lebanon’s government committed in August to disarming Hezbollah, which was heavily weakened politically and militarily after a recent war with Israel.

Tehran has said it is opposed to the move, which Hezbollah has also rejected.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2025