UNIFIL reported that Israeli forces fired from a Merkava tank at its peacekeepers near an Israeli-held position inside Lebanese territory. The incident occurred while the mission was working with the Lebanese army to uphold a truce with Hezbollah agreed last November. According to UNIFIL, heavy machine-gun rounds landed roughly five meters from its personnel before they withdrew safely when the tank returned to the Israeli side. The mission condemned the shooting as a serious breach of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, the agreement that ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and underpins the ongoing ceasefire linked to the Gaza conflict. UNIFIL noted that Israel has not fully withdrawn from five zones it considers strategically important and continues strikes on Lebanese territory, mainly targeting Hezbollah. The force stressed that this is not the first time its peacekeepers have been endangered, urging Israel to stop all aggressive actions near its personnel.
