UNIFIL vows to remain in Lebanon despite Israeli attacks

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon  (UNIFIL) said on Monday that they will continue their work in Lebanon despite repeated Israeli attacks.

For the first time, the peacekeepers were compelled to take defensive measures and issue a strong condemnation of Israel’s violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which UNIFIL said reflected “disregard for the safety and security of peacekeepers.”

In an incident on Sunday, an Israeli drone approached and bombed near a UNIFIL patrol in the town of Kafr Kala on Sunday.

Moments after the incident, an Israeli tank fired at the peacekeepers, however there were no injuries to people or damage to equipment.

The Israeli military later released a statement saying "an IDF drone was shot down in the Kafr Kala area in southern Lebanon during a routine activity to gather information and reconnaissance".

The statement added that "UNIFIL forces that were present near the area deliberately fired at the drone, despite the fact that it did not pose any threat to it" and that Israeli forces shortly after "threw a hand grenade at the area where the drone was shot down".

Reports in local media said that this followed an earlier incident at the same location, where an Israeli drone flew closely over a UNIFIL patrol.

"These actions by the Israeli army constitute a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and Lebanon’s sovereignty and show disregard for the safety and security of peacekeepers carrying out tasks assigned to them by the Security Council in southern Lebanon," a statement from UNIFIL said.

Israel has recently stepped up its attacks on UNIFIL forces, with reports of three incidents in the space of one month, amid continued Israeli violations of the ceasefire in south Lebanon.

UNIFIL spokesperson Tilak Pokharel told The New Arab's sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the organisation "does not seek to enter into a confrontation with any party but rather works with all parties and keeps the channels of communication open with them".

He stressed that UNIFIL is "open to discussion, and do not want to enter into a confrontation with anyone," emphasising that they are deployed in south Lebanon to support peace efforts and help implemen Resolution 1701 of 2006, which calls for Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

"We will continue to carry out the tasks until the end of the mandate at the end of 2026," Pokharel said.

In a follow-up statement, UNIFIL called on the Israeli military to cease all attacks on or near peacekeepers and Lebanese civilians and soldiers.

Former Lebanese army coordinator with UNIFIL, Brigadier General Mounir Shahadeh, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Israel’s attack on UNIFIL on Sunday—and previous assaults during the expanded offensive in September, as well as since October 2023—are part of a broader campaign to pressure UNIFIL to withdraw from Lebanon.

Shahadeh noted that before the mission’s mandate was renewed in late August, both Israel and the US sought to terminate UNIFIL’s presence, claiming it was ineffective and citing financial constraints as justification. "Israel’s real goal," he said, "is to occupy the entire area south of the Litani River."

He added that during the recent ground offensive, Israel requested that UNIFIL evacuate its positions and move north, but the UN mission refused. "Since then, we’ve witnessed numerous attacks targeting UNIFIL’s sites and personnel, including near its headquarters in Naqoura," he said.

According to Shahadeh, these assaults serve as "messages of fire" meant to force UNIFIL’s departure and prevent future mandate renewals.

However, the mission’s term was extended—likely for the final time—until the end of 2026. He argued that Israel continues its deliberate attacks because it rejects UNIFIL’s presence and ultimately intends to control the entire southern region.

While UNIFIL confirmed that it had taken defensive measures against an Israeli drone on Sunday after it flew aggressively over a patrol, Shahadeh emphasised that the peacekeeping force has never shot down an aircraft, attacked Israel, or engaged militarily, even in the face of repeated violations.

"Under international law, UNIFIL had the right to defend itself against an imminent threat," he said, accusing Israel of operating with impunity under US protection.

Israel continues to routinely violate the November 2024 ceasefire with Lebanon, killing two brothers in a strike on the village of al-Bayyad in the Tyre district in southern Lebanon on Monday.