The Israeli operations targeted one of their patrols, where gunfire and an explosion occurred near their forces, according to a report by UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported on Friday that Israeli operations intercepted one of its patrols, and a shooting and explosion occurred near its forces.
The statement said, “Intense automatic weapons fire from Israeli Defense Forces positions south of the Blue Line fell near a UNIFIL patrol that was inspecting a roadblock in the village of Bastra. The shooting came after a hand grenade exploded nearby.”
He added: “Although there was no damage to UNIFIL assets, the sound of gunfire and the explosion resulted in one peacekeeper sustaining minor injuries with an ear concussion.”
In another incident, UNIFIL reported that a patrol in the village of Kafr Shuba heard machine gun fire from Israeli forces near their position.
UNIFIL vehicles drive through Deir Mimas, south Lebanon, on 18 February 2025; Illustrative. (Source: Reuters/Karmallah Daher)
UNIFIL leaks information to Hezbollah
UNIFIL and the Israeli army have clashed in the past two months, with the UN force targeting Israeli army reconnaissance drones that allegedly leaked information to Hezbollah, according to a report by Army Radio.
On November 30, senior IDF officials feared that photos and documents taken by UNIFIL peacekeepers of Israeli military operations on the Lebanon-Israel border had been leaked to Hezbollah, Army Radio reports.
The IDF also discovered an official UNIFIL document referring to Israel as the “enemy”, which, after Israel demanded answers, Army Radio claimed UNIFIL apologized for the wording, claiming it had “copied the Lebanese Army’s wording” and “forgot” to correct it.
Additionally, a drone incident occurred on 27 October, when UNIFIL forces reported that Israeli drones were flying over UNIFIL patrols “in an aggressive manner,” stating that “peacekeepers applied the necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralize the drone.”
All of these situations occurred in the context of an imminent withdrawal of UNIFIL forces from Lebanon, with the force set to remain fully operational in the country until 2026, when a year-long “orderly and safe withdrawal and withdrawal” process will begin.
The withdrawal was approved by the UN Security Council, with a French resolution “requiring UNIFIL to cease its operations on 31 December 2026, and to commence from this date and within one year its orderly and safe withdrawal… in close consultation with the Government of Lebanon.”
Amichai Stein, Reuters, and The Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.