UNIFIL patrol comes under fire in southern Lebanon
A United Nations peacekeeping patrol came under fire in southern Lebanon on Tuesday near Wadi Jilu in the Tyre district, according to the mission. The incident involved about a dozen rounds being fired at one of the patrols. The patrol returned fire, and the shooting then stopped.
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UNIFIL said no casualties were reported and called for an investigation into the attack. The mission did not identify who was behind the shooting. It also said deliberate attacks on peacekeepers violate Security Council resolution 1701 and international humanitarian law.
The patrol was operating in an area where UNIFIL has long served as a buffer force between Israel and Lebanon. The mission was established by the UN Security Council in March 1978, days after Israel invaded Lebanon. Since then, it has remained in southern Lebanon despite repeated periods of conflict and instability.
The latest shooting comes as regional tensions remain high and questions continue over the future of the peacekeeping mission. UNIFIL's presence has not prevented several rounds of conflict, including the latest between Israel and Hezbollah. Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire and a US-brokered framework under which Israeli forces would withdraw and the Lebanese army would move in to disarm Hezbollah.
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The incident also comes amid diplomatic discussion over what could replace the mission if its mandate ends in 2026. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said G7 foreign ministers agreed on the need to avoid a security vacuum in Lebanon and to move quickly toward a new security architecture. He said there had been no breakthrough on replacing UNIFIL, which includes about 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries.
What remains unclear is who fired on the patrol and whether the attack was deliberate or linked to wider local tensions. UNIFIL has asked for an investigation, but no further details were immediately provided. The episode adds to pressure on efforts to maintain stability in southern Lebanon as the mandate deadline approaches.
