Israeli gunfire hits perimeter of one of its peacekeeping postions

15/5/2025 6:18

The U.N. Interim Force in

Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday that direct fire from the

Israeli army had hit the perimeter of one of its peacekeeping

positions in south Lebanon.



In a statement, UNIFIL said the incident on Tuesday was the

first of its kind since Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese militant

group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire last November.



There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the

incident, in which UNIFIL said one of its bases in the village

of Kfar Shouba in southern Lebanon was hit.



"In recent days, UNIFIL has also observed other aggressive

behaviour by the IDF (Israeli military) towards peacekeepers

performing operational activities in accordance with Security

Council Resolution 1701," it said, referring to a U.N.

resolution originally adopted in 2006 to end hostilities between

Israel and Hezbollah.



Tuesday's incident occurred near the Blue Line, a

U.N.-mapped demarcation separating Lebanon from Israel and the

Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.



Any unauthorised crossing of the Blue Line by land or by air

from any side constitutes a violation of Security Council

Resolution 1701.



UNIFIL cited other alleged incidents it blamed on the

Israeli army, including being targeted by lasers while it was

performing a patrol with the Lebanese army in the southern

border town of Maroun al-Ras on Tuesday.



Israel has continued to occasionally strike areas in south

Lebanon, saying that it was targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

It has also struck the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of

Beirut several times.



The ceasefire terms require that neither Hezbollah nor any

other armed group have weapons in areas near the border south of

the Litani river, which flows into the Mediterranean some 20 km

(12 miles) north of the Israeli border.



They require Israel to withdraw troops from the south and

that the Lebanese army deploy into the border region.



Lebanon and Israel have accused each other of failing to

fully implement the deal. Israel still has troops on five

hilltop positions in the south. Rockets have been fired from

Lebanon towards Israel twice, though Hezbollah denied any role.



Israel killed thousands of Hezbollah fighters in the war,

destroyed much of its arsenal and eliminated its top leaders,

including Hassan Nasrallah.



The war spiralled after Hezbollah opened fire at the

beginning of the Gaza war, declaring solidarity with its

Palestinian ally Hamas.