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The United Nations and France have condemned an Israeli strike that struck UN peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon, describing the incident as a serious violation of international norms and the ceasefire agreement in the region, Al Jazeera reported.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that the attack, which took place a day earlier near the border town of Kfar Kila, involved an Israeli drone dropping a grenade close to a UNIFIL patrol, followed by tank fire directed at the peacekeepers. He called the incident "very, very dangerous." Dujarric said the UN has repeatedly faced what it perceives as deliberate targeting by Israeli forces, including laser pointing and warning shots. "Our colleagues at UNIFIL are in contact with the Israeli military to protest vehemently against these attacks," he said. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) operates alongside the Lebanese army to maintain a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, established last year. However, Israeli forces have reportedly breached the truce on a near-daily basis, Al Jazeera reported. France's Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs also denounced "the Israeli fire that targeted a UNIFIL detachment," noting that similar incidents occurred on October 1, 2, and 11. UNIFIL reported that on Sunday, an Israeli drone flew aggressively over one of its patrols, prompting peacekeepers to take "necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralise the drone" Al Jazeera reported. Israel continues to occupy five positions in southern Lebanon and has carried out near-daily strikes in violation of the ceasefire. On Monday, two brothers were reportedly killed in an Israeli strike on the village of al-Bayyad in Tyre district. The Israeli military claimed its latest attacks targeted a Hezbollah arms dealer and another individual allegedly assisting the group's efforts to rebuild its military capacity. Lebanese officials, however, accused Israel of hampering reconstruction efforts by striking civilian infrastructure, including machinery and construction equipment, Al Jazeera reported. Hezbollah, which has sustained heavy losses amid continued Israeli bombardment, said it remains ready to defend itself. "The possibility of war exists but is uncertain; it depends on their calculations," Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said. Meanwhile, US Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus arrived in Beirut late on Monday for meetings with Lebanese leaders, amid Washington's continued calls for Hezbollah to disarm and integrate into the national army. (ANI)
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