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View all search resultsUNIFIL comes under fire in southern Lebanon
The force, whose mandate in Lebanon expires at the end of this year, said the patrol "was fired upon with about a dozen rounds" near Wadi Jilu and returned fire, after which the shooting stopped.
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United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers arrive at the site of an Israeli strike that severed the last remaining bridge linking southern Lebanon to the rest of the country in Qasmiyeh, Lebanon on April 16, 2026. (Reuters/Louisa Gouliamaki)
T
he United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Tuesday that one of its patrols came under fire in the country's south, without saying who was responsible.
The force, whose mandate in Lebanon expires at the end of this year, said the patrol "was fired upon with about a dozen rounds" near Wadi Jilu and returned fire, after which the shooting stopped.
It reported no casualties and called for an investigation.
"We reiterate the obligation under international law for all actors to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property at all times," it said.
UNIFIL has served as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon since 1978, but its presence has been unable to prevent several rounds of conflict -- including the latest between Israel and Hezbollah, which broke out in March amid the wider Middle East war.
Despite a patchy ceasefire and recent direct talks between Israel and Lebanon, Hezbollah still refuses to disarm and Israeli troops continue to occupy parts of the south.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres earlier this year presented proposals for a continued uniformed UN presence in Lebanon but no action has been taken yet.
Under US pressure, the UN Security Council last year voted to end UNIFIL's mandate on December 31, 2026.
Lebanese officials have called for it to be extended.
At a meeting in Paris on Tuesday, G7 foreign ministers agreed on "the need to avoid a security void" in Lebanon after UNIFIL withdraws, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
But he acknowledged there had been no breakthrough on what should replace the force, which numbers around 7,500 personnel from nearly 50 countries.
The peacekeepers are still deployed at about 50 positions in southern Lebanon, which would be expected to be handed over to Lebanese army troops if no new UN force is agreed.
But since most of those posts lie in territory now occupied by the Israeli military, it remains unclear how Lebanese soldiers could deploy to take over the positions.
