UN peacekeepers report Israeli fire on one of their patrols in the south

SOUTH LEBANON — The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced Wednesday that Israeli forces fired on one of its patrols the previous day in Sarda (Marjayoun district), in the south of the country, specifying that there were no injuries.

“Yesterday, IDF soldiers in a Merkava tank fired on peacekeepers patrolling the Blue Line near Sarda. One ten-round burst of machine-gun fire was shot above the convoy, followed by four additional ten-round bursts nearby. Peacekeepers immediately called on the IDF to stop firing through UNIFIL’s liaison channels. At the time of the incident, both the peacekeepers and the IDF tank were located inside Lebanese territory. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The IDF had been informed in advance of the patrol’s location and timing, in line with standard procedures for movements in sensitive areas along the Blue Line. Attacks on or near peacekeepers constitute serious violations of Security Council Resolution 1701. In this highly sensitive context, we call on the IDF to cease aggressive behavior and any actions that endanger peacekeepers working to maintain stability along the Blue Line.”

Last month, UNIFIL had already reported shootings against its troops in the south, with Israel claiming in response that its forces had mistaken the UN soldiers for "suspects" and fired "warning shots." In October, UNIFIL reported that one of its soldiers had been injured by an Israeli grenade, after previously reporting similar incidents.

Israeli attacks

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Israeli army continued its attacks in South Lebanon, firing machine guns first from the Roueissat al-Alam position toward the outskirts of the village of Kfar Shuba (Hasbaya district), then from the Tallet al-Qarn position toward the Majidieh plain (Hasbaya), according to our correspondent.

Israeli soldiers also launched three grenades in this same area. Earlier in the day, Israeli warplanes flew at low altitude over South Lebanon and the Bekaa. In the evening, the Israeli army fired medium-caliber weapons at the outskirts of Yaroun (Bint Jbeil district).

In addition, a man living in a three-story building between Mansouri and Byout al-Siyad, in the Sour district, said he received a threatening call during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday attributed to the Israeli army, which turned out to be false.

The caller, whose identity was not confirmed, allegedly asked him to evacuate "a site belonging to the Hezbollah organization," according to our correspondent in South Lebanon, Mountasser Abdallah. The contacted person, Bilal Ayian, is an ordinary citizen, he clarified.

The message stated: "You are on a site belonging to the Hezbollah organization. Please evacuate the house and move 500 meters away for your safety. Leave the Ismaïl al-Zein residential complex immediately."

As a precaution, residents of the building were evacuated. Security forces have opened an investigation to determine the origin of the call. While the Israeli army regularly issues evacuation warnings through its Arabic-speaking spokesperson Avichay Adraee before carrying out strikes, individual calls received on private phones most often turn out to be unfounded.

Between drone strikes, demolitions of houses, machine-gun fire, ground incursions and aerial bombardments, the Israeli army continues to attack South Lebanon, the Bekaa, and to a lesser extent the southern suburbs of Beirut, despite the cease-fire that came into effect on Nov. 27, 2024, between Hezbollah and Israel.

These operations continue as Lebanon last week appointed a civilian, Ambassador Simon Karam, to the cease-fire monitoring "mechanism," responding to a request from Washington and Tel Aviv. \

Israel claims it is striking Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure in Lebanon and thwarting the group's alleged rebuilding attempts, while the Lebanese army has committed to disarming it.