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The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
UNIFIL said Israeli drones dropped four grenades close to the
peacekeepers, who were working to clear roadblocks that hindered
access to a U.N. position along the border line. One grenade hit
within 20 meters (yards) and three others within approximately
100 meters of U.N. personnel and vehicles, it said, adding the
drones were observed returning toward Israel.
UNIFIL said the Israeli military had been informed in advance of
the peacekeeping force’s road clearance work in the area,
southeast of the village of Marwahin less than a kilometer
(mile) from the border line.
“Out of concern for the safety of peacekeepers following the
incident, yesterday’s work was suspended,” UNIFIL said.
The attack came after the U.N. Security Council voted
unanimously last week to terminate the U.N. peacekeeping force
in southern Lebanon at the end of next year after nearly five
decades, bowing to demands from the United States and Israel.
The multinational peacekeeping force has played a significant
role in monitoring the security situation in southern Lebanon
for decades, including during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. The
force has also drawn criticism from both sides and from
officials in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, which
has moved to slash U.S. funding for the operation as Trump
remakes America’s approach to foreign policy.
The Israel-Hezbollah war killed over 4,000 people in Lebanon,
including hundreds of civilians, and caused destruction worth
$11 billion, according to the World Bank. In Israel, 127 people
died, including 80 soldiers.
UNIFIL said any actions that endanger U.N. peacekeepers and
assets or interfere with their tasks are unacceptable and a
serious violation of international law and the resolution that
ended the war. It added it is the Israeli military's
responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the
peacekeepers performing Security Council-mandated tasks.
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