BEIRUT: United Nations peacekeepers said rock-throwing individuals confronted them during a patrol on Tuesday in south Lebanon, calling repeated targeting of their troops “unacceptable”.
The UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed since 1978 to separate Lebanon and Israel, sits on a five-member committee to supervise the ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah.
In a statement, UNIFIL said peacekeepers conducting “a planned patrol” coordinated with the Lebanese army were “confronted by a group of individuals in civilian clothing in the vicinity of Hallusiyat al-Tahta, in southern Lebanon”.
“The group attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones at the peacekeepers,” the statement read, adding that “one peacekeeper was struck” but no injuries were reported.
The situation was defused when the Lebanese army intervened, allowing the peacekeeping force to continue its patrol.
“It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to be targeted,” the statement added.
UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP a Finnish soldier was slapped during the confrontation.
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A witness, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said an altercation ensued between locals and the Lebanese army, who were searching for the man who slapped the peacekeeper.
One man opposing the army was injured and hospitalised, the witness said.
In a statement, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he “strongly condemns the repeated attacks” on UNIFIL forces and called for the attackers to be stopped and held accountable.
After a meeting with French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned “the occasional attacks on UNIFIL patrols”, calling them “unjustified and unacceptable”.
There have been several confrontations between people in south Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway, and UN peacekeepers in recent weeks.
Confrontations are typically defused by the Lebanese army and rarely escalate.
In December 2022, an Irish peacekeeper was killed in a shooting at a UN armoured vehicle in the south. Hezbollah surrendered a man accused of the crime, but he was released around a year later.
The November ceasefire agreement, which sought to end over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, states that only Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers may be deployed in the country’s south.
Israel is supposed to have fully withdrawn its troops from Lebanon according to the deal, but has remained in five positions it deems strategic and has repeatedly bombed the country.
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