On Sunday, three United Nations peacekeepers sustained minor injuries after an explosion occurred near their vehicle in southern Lebanon, close to the border with Israel. The incident took place amidst a period of heightened tensions between Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, and Israel. Hezbollah has been engaged in cross-border fire with the Israeli army in support of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that initiated the Gaza war on October 7th.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed the incident, stating that the explosion occurred near their clearly marked UN vehicle in the vicinity of Yarine. While the UNIFIL investigation into the incident is ongoing, a UNIFIL source suggested that the explosion was likely caused by a nearby Israeli airstrike, though not a direct hit. Earlier that day, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes had struck the village of Dhayra, located approximately one kilometer from Yarine, resulting in injuries.
The ongoing violence has highlighted the crucial role of UNIFIL in mediating between Israel and Lebanon. In August, the Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, emphasized the organization’s significance during this period of cross-border clashes, stating that it serves as the primary communication channel between both sides.
In addition to the incident involving the UN peacekeepers, Lebanon’s health ministry reported that an Israeli airstrike targeting a motorcycle in Shebaa, a town in southern Lebanon, resulted in one fatality and one injury. The Lebanese Resistance Brigades, a group affiliated with Hezbollah, confirmed the death of one of their fighters, describing him as a martyr defending Lebanon and supporting the resistance in Gaza.
Hezbollah retaliated for the alleged Israeli airstrike by launching Katyusha rockets at a military post in northern Israel. The cross-border violence has resulted in the deaths of 582 individuals in Lebanon, with the majority being Hezbollah fighters but including at least 128 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, 22 soldiers and 26 civilians have been killed, as per army figures.
