Firefighters extinguish a burning UNIFIL vehicle, set on fire by demonstrators, on the road leading to Beirut's airport (AIB), Feb. 14, 2025. (Credit: Ibrahim Amro/AFP)
A day after an attack on a U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) convoy wounded two peacekeepers Friday night in Beirut’s southern suburbs, 25 people were arrested by Lebanese Army intelligence, Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar said.
"The attack on UNIFIL forces is considered a crime, and prosecutions will be carried out with all necessary rigor to apprehend the perpetrators. We have more than 25 detainees," the minister said at a press conference following an emergency meeting attended by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. The arrests were made "to uncover all details of the incident and identify those responsible" and involved "several young men who were present at the scene of the attack on the UNIFIL convoy and the roadblock on the airport road," he added.
The attack sparked widespread condemnation, with blame seemingly directed at Hezbollah supporters. The charred remains of torched vehicles bore witness to the violence of the assault, which also injured a UNIFIL officer, according to a statement from the peacekeeping force.
Tensions had already flared Thursday on the airport road following the ban on Iranian planes landing in Lebanon. Protesters staging another sit-in Friday night in the southern part of the capital stormed a passing U.N. convoy.
"The outgoing deputy force commander, who was returning home after completing his mission, was injured. (…) We are shocked by this outrageous attack on peacekeepers who have worked to restore security and stability in southern Lebanon during a difficult period," the statement said, calling for an "immediate" investigation.
Contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, UNIFIL said Saturday that the two injured peacekeepers were Nepalese and had been hospitalized. The Nepalese consulate, representing one of the largest troop contributors to the U.N. force, "strongly condemned" what it called an "unacceptable act" and a "blatant violation of international law and the noble mission of the peacekeeping force in Lebanon," in a statement carried by the official National News Agency (NNA).
'Identify the attackers'
Reactions within the executive and the newly formed government were swift. Salam called U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL’s head of mission and force commander, Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, on Friday night to condemn "in the strongest terms the criminal attack on UNIFIL personnel and vehicles," NNA reported. He assured them that he had instructed Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar to "take urgent measures to identify the attackers, work toward their arrest, and bring them before the competent judiciary to ensure appropriate legal action."
"What happened last night on the airport road and in certain areas of Beirut is unacceptable and must be condemned — it cannot be repeated," President Joseph Aoun said Saturday morning, vowing that "security forces will show no leniency toward anyone attempting to disrupt stability and civil peace," according to a statement posted on X by the presidency. He also emphasized the need to "pursue and arrest those responsible for security violations and bring them to justice, which has already begun on-site investigations," while reaffirming his "full support for UNIFIL in carrying out its mission."
Against this backdrop, Interior Minister Hajjar convened an emergency meeting of the Central Security Council on Saturday at 11 a.m. with security agency chiefs "to assess the security situation in light of recent incidents," NNA reported. The prime minister attended the meeting to "issue directives ensuring that security is maintained across the Lebanese territory, including for travelers at Rafik Hariri International Airport, and to prevent attacks on public and private property or attempts to block roads." Hajjar was set to hold a press conference following the meeting.
The interior minister also visited the two wounded UNIFIL officers at Beirut’s Saint George Hospital on Saturday morning, reiterating that "the Lebanese government rejects this attack, which is a crime against peacekeepers."
The incident also drew international reactions. The U.S. State Department condemned the "violent attack, reportedly carried out by a group of Hezbollah supporters," and praised "the Lebanese government’s commitment to ensuring those responsible for the Beirut attack are held accountable."
The French Foreign Ministry joined the condemnation, denouncing the attack "in the strongest terms" and calling it "unacceptable."
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s acting army commander, Maj. Gen. Hassan Audi, also checked on the condition of the two wounded U.N. peacekeepers, including Nepali Gen. Chok Bahadur Dhakal, UNIFIL's deputy commander, at Saint George Hospital in Beirut, wishing them "a speedy recovery." He also emphasized the army command’s "rejection" of "any attack on UNIFIL personnel" and confirmed that the military was working to "arrest the assailants and bring them to justice," according to a statement posted by the army on X.
'On what grounds was this plane denied landing?'
Hezbollah did not comment on the incident itself, except for remarks by MP Hassan Ezzedine. "On what basis was this plane denied landing? Why? To satisfy the enemy or to give in to external pressures? Was there submission to diktats that led to this ban?" he said, referring to Thursday’s events. He also condemned the Israeli army’s stated intention to maintain its presence in southern Lebanon beyond Feb. 18, the deadline for the implementation of the cease-fire agreement that ended the war between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon. However, he made no mention of Friday night’s incident.
The party did not issue an official response, but in a statement released Saturday, it called on its supporters to hold a "popular sit-in" at 4 p.m. the same day on Imam Khomeini Avenue, meaning the Beirut airport road. The gathering was organized "to denounce Israeli interference, diktats, and the violation of national sovereignty," according to the party’s statement.
"They are trying to make up in the streets for the power they lost over the state," opposition MP Waddah Sadek commented on X. "They can try to take it back by force, but that belongs to the past, no matter what they do. Their only option is to submit to the authority of the law and the Constitution, return to their state and homeland, and abandon their attachment to a project that has brought them nothing but destruction and death."
For his part, Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil called for the creation of "additional airports," an argument often used by Hezbollah’s opponents, who regularly accuse the party of using Rafik Hariri International Airport for its own purposes, including alleged arms and money smuggling.
"Lebanon needs additional airports in Qleyaat, Hamat and Rayak — airports specialized in freight transport, low-cost passenger flights, and private aviation. This will help boost tourism, develop the economy, and promote regional growth," Bassil wrote on X. This request was also echoed by Walid Baarini of the National Moderation Bloc, which is largely composed of former Hariri-aligned Sunni MPs.
The Lebanese Forces party, meanwhile, welcomed statements condemning the attack and urged the relevant judicial and military authorities to "arrest the assailants and bring them to justice, because there can be no stability without accountability and firm punishment." Samir Geagea’s party also wished a speedy recovery to Nepali Gen. Chok Bahadur Dhakal.
The Progressive Socialist Party affirmed in a statement Saturday that "the recent movements and roadblocks witnessed across the country over the past two days are unacceptable and unjustified, regardless of the reasons. Such actions do not, in any way, serve the much-needed restart for the country."
The PSP also condemned "the attacks on UNIFIL forces, as these regrettably align with Israeli occupation assaults on these forces to prevent them from carrying out their role alongside the Lebanese army in implementing U.N. Resolution 1701 and exposing the enemy’s violations and aggressions."
