UNIFIL claims IDF shot at patrol in Lebanon; Israel says troops fired at suspect nearby

IDF says the shots were fired at a person approaching troops from a different direction, reaffirms commitment to cooperation with peacekeepers

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said Wednesday that its observers came under fire from Israeli troops in a tank a day earlier, during a patrol along the Blue Line close to the village of Sarda.

The Israel Defense Forces countered that its gunfire was not aimed at the convoy, but was a warning to a suspect approaching troops stationed inside southern Lebanon.

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

The observer force said it “asked the IDF to stop firing through UNIFIL’s liaison channels,” adding that nobody was injured in the incident.

UNIFIL claimed that the IDF was “informed of the location and timing of the patrol in advance, following usual practice for patrols in sensitive areas near the Blue Line.”

It said that attacks on or near its observers “are serious violations of Security Council Resolution 1701.”

“In this very sensitive situation, we call on the IDF to cease aggressive behaviour and attacks on or near peacekeepers working to rebuild stability along the Blue Line,” UNIFIL added.

According to the IDF, troops deployed to the Hamames post in Lebanon, just north of Metula, spotted a suspect approaching their position.

“In accordance with procedures and the rules of engagement, warning shots were fired toward them,” the army said.

While the troops were firing warning shots, the military said UNIFIL contacted the IDF, “claiming they were hearing shots in their direction.”

The IDF said it clarified to UNIFIL “that the gunfire was not toward them or in their direction, but rather to push back the threat in the area.” A military source added that the shots were fired in the direction from which the suspect approached, which was not the location of the UN forces.

“The IDF emphasizes that it does not operate against UN forces and will continue to work in full, ongoing coordination with their representatives,” the military added.

In recent months, UNIFIL has made an increasing number of complaints against the IDF. In November, the IDF mistakenly fired on UNIFIL observers, blaming poor weather conditions.

In August, the UN Security Council voted to end UNIFIL’s mission at the end of 2026 — nearly five decades after the force was deployed.

Israel has long argued that the observer force has failed in its mission, doing little to block Hezbollah from building up its forces near the Israeli border over decades, as required under Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, and formed the basis of the November 2024 ceasefire with the Iran-backed terror group.

That ceasefire halted a conflict sparked when Hezbollah began launching near-daily attacks on northern Israel on October 8, 2023, a day after fellow Iran-backed terror group Hamas invaded southern Israel, sparking the Gaza war.

Hezbollah’s attacks displaced some 60,000 residents of northern Israel. In a bid to ensure their return, Israel escalated its operations in Lebanon in September 2024, decimating Hezbollah’s leadership and invading the country.

Under the US-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah and Israel were both required to withdraw from south Lebanon, while UNIFIL deployed there alongside the Lebanese military, in part to help dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure.

Israel has maintained its troops in five locations it deems strategic, and kept up regular strikes on what it says are Hezbollah targets violating the truce.

AP and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.