United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Tuesday that it had sent a “stop fire request” to the Israeli army after shells struck one of its positions in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, UNIFIL said that two possible illuminating flare mortar rounds hit the helipad and the main gate of a UN position southwest of the town of Yaroun during the night.
The mission said that peacekeepers immediately took shelter following the incident and confirmed that no injuries were reported.
UNIFIL called on the Israeli army to ensure the safety of peacekeepers and to halt activities that place UN personnel and positions at risk. It stressed that any actions endangering peacekeepers constitute serious violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and undermine efforts to maintain stability in southern Lebanon.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in place since November 2024, following more than a year of cross-border attacks that killed more than 4,000 people and wounded over 17,000 – mostly Lebanese civilians – against the backdrop of Israel’s war and genocide in Gaza.
Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, the Israeli army was expected to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 2025. However, Israeli forces only partially withdrew and continue to maintain a military presence at five border outposts inside Lebanese territory.
UNIFIL has repeatedly warned that violations of the ceasefire and continued military activities risk further escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border.
(PC, Anadolu)
