UNIFIL issues strong rebuke following Israeli attack on peacekeepers

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: UNIFIL
Today 21:55

UNIFIL condemned "Israel" for endangering its peacekeepers after occupation drones dropped grenades near UN positions in southern Lebanon, calling the attack a grave violation of international law and UN resolutions.

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A UNIFIL peacekeeper operates heavy machinery to clear rubble from war-damaged terrain in southern Lebanon, as part of ongoing efforts to restore access and stability along the border (UNIFIL)

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has issued a sharp condemnation of Israeli aggression in southern Lebanon, accusing the occupation army of recklessly endangering international peacekeepers after drones dropped grenades near their positions. The mission demanded that "Israel" immediately cease its attacks, denouncing them as clear violations of international law and UN mandates.

"Yesterday, the Israel [Occupation] Forces (IOF) dropped grenades near peacekeepers working alongside Lebanese soldiers to provide security for civilian workers" in Maroun al-Ras near the border, UNIFIL said in a statement on Friday, confirming that no injuries were reported.

According to the mission, UN peacekeepers were overseeing efforts to clear rubble from war-damaged homes when the explosions occurred, despite the fact that the Israeli army had been informed in advance of their presence.

"In one incident," the statement said, "two groups of peacekeepers heard a grenade explode near an excavator around 500 metres away. Moments later, the first group saw a drone fly overhead and witnessed an explosion about 30-40 metres away. Soon after, the second group saw another drone drop a grenade that exploded just 20 metres over their heads."

Repeated Violations

Friday's incident is the second reported attack in as many months. In early September, UNIFIL said Israeli drones dropped four grenades near its patrol in Marwahin, also after being notified of peacekeeper movements. "Israel" denied any deliberate targeting, claiming "no intentional fire" was directed at UN personnel.

UNIFIL condemned the latest assault as part of a troubling pattern of harassment against its forces, calling it a "dangerous provocation" and "a serious violation of international law." "Such actions also constitute a serious violation of (United Nations) Security Council resolution 1701," the mission added, referring to the resolution that ended the 2006 Lebanon war and underpins the current ceasefire framework.

UNIFIL statement on recent IDF grenade attacks near peacekeepers and Lebanese soldiers:

Yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dropped grenades near peacekeepers working alongside Lebanese soldiers to provide security for civilian workers in Maroun ar-Ras.
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) October 3, 2025

While the US-brokered truce requires both "Israel" and Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon, "Israel" has illegally retained military positions in at least five border zones, citing "strategic necessity." It also continues to launch strikes on alleged Hezbollah infrastructure, often near civilian or UN-monitored areas, actions UNIFIL warns threaten the fragile calm established under the November ceasefire.

Eroding UN Mandate

The Maroun al-Ras incident echoes a series of recent confrontations in which Israeli forces have directly endangered or obstructed peacekeepers. In October 2024, an Israeli Merkava tank stormed a UNIFIL post in Ramyah, destroying its main entrance and injuring multiple soldiers through smoke exposure. That same month, an Israeli tank fired at a UN guard tower in Naqoura, wounding two peacekeepers.

Earlier in 2025, peacekeepers also reported being caught in crossfire during Israeli air raids near the Blue Line, the UN-demarcated boundary separating Lebanon from the Occupation. UN officials say such acts undermine coordination mechanisms designed to prevent escalation, noting that UNIFIL routinely shares its patrol plans with the Israeli army.

Analysts see these incidents as part of a broader erosion of respect for UNIFIL's mandate, which tasks the mission with monitoring violations, facilitating Lebanese sovereignty in the south, and deterring renewed hostilities. "Israel's" ongoing strikes have drawn criticism for undermining the spirit of Resolution 1701.

Peacekeepers Endangered

UNIFIL reiterated its demand that "Israel" stop conducting operations that endanger peacekeepers, civilians, or Lebanese troops, urging it "to cease attacks on or near peacekeepers, civilians, and Lebanese soldiers and allow us to carry out our mandated tasks without obstruction."

Deployed since 1978, UNIFIL currently includes around 10,000 personnel from nearly 50 countries, serving as a buffer between Israeli forces and Lebanon. The mission's mandate is set to expire in 2027, following a Security Council decision in August, though its role is likely to remain central as border tensions persist and Israeli provocations increasingly test the ceasefire's limits.