Four UN Peacekeepers Injured by Rocket Fire in Lebanon

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon reported that four of its personnel sustained injuries when a rocket struck one of its bases. This incident was one of three distinct occasions on Tuesday where UN troops and facilities were targeted by fire. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) stated that four Ghanaian peacekeepers were wounded, three of whom needed hospitalization, following a rocket impact on a base situated east of Ramyah village, close to the Israeli border. The extent of their injuries remains undisclosed. Unifil further indicated that a base in Shama incurred damage from rocket fire, attributing likely responsibility to “non-state actors within Lebanon.” No injuries were reported in this incident. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), currently conducting a ground invasion in southern Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, assigned blame to the Lebanese armed group for both rocket fire incidents. Hezbollah has not issued a statement. Additionally on Tuesday, a Unifil patrol encountered gunfire while traversing a road northeast of Khirbat Silim village, with no reported injuries. Unifil issued a statement via social media, condemning the assaults on its personnel and infrastructure. The statement asserted, “The pattern of regular attacks – direct or indirect – against peacekeepers must end immediately.” It further declared, “Any attack against the peacekeepers is a flagrant violation of international laws and resolution 1701, which forms the basis of Unifil’s current mandate.” UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which concluded the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, stipulated that the UN should establish an area in the south devoid of armed forces apart from the Lebanese army. Nevertheless, Israel alleges that Unifil has overlooked the expansion of Hezbollah, which now surpasses the official Lebanese army in strength. Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the UK, the US, and other nations. In recent months, tensions between Israel and the UN regarding its peacekeeping operations in southern Lebanon have intensified, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu advocating for the withdrawal of forces from “combat areas.” A Unifil spokesperson in Geneva reported that UN peacekeepers are observing heightened levels of violence, along with “huge, shocking” destruction across the blue line, which is the UN-recognized boundary dividing Israel and Lebanon. Israel’s declared objective for initiating a ground invasion and intensifying air strikes against Hezbollah targets is to facilitate the return of approximately 60,000 residents displaced from northern communities due to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks. The Lebanese group commenced its campaign the day following the Hamas attacks on southern Israel last year, stating its actions were in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Over the past year, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have resulted in over 3,840 fatalities and nearly 15,000 injuries, as per the Lebanese health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. On Tuesday, the Lebanese army announced that three of its soldiers died in an Israeli strike on an army center in Safarand town. The health ministry reported that seventeen other individuals, including nearby civilians, were injured in the same strike. Israeli attacks have led to the displacement of over one million people, exacerbating pressure on a nation already contending with a severe economic crisis for years. Israeli authorities report that Hezbollah’s attacks have caused the deaths of at least 31 soldiers and 45 civilians within Israel. An additional 45 Israeli soldiers have been killed during combat in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military has dismantled significant portions of Hezbollah’s infrastructure and eliminated numerous leaders, yet the group persists in conducting daily attacks, albeit with reduced intensity. Ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hezbollah have escalated, with the Lebanese government expected to respond to a draft agreement proposed by the US.