An Israel Defense Forces reconnaissance drone was shot down by United Nations peacekeepers over Southern Lebanon on Sunday, the Israeli military said on Monday.
An initial inquiry found that the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon “deliberately fired at the drone and downed it,” tweeted IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani.
Shoshani stressed that the unmanned aerial vehicle, which was shot down in the Kafr Kila area, posed no threat to UNIFIL forces.
“Following the downing of the drone, IDF troops dropped a grenade toward the area where the drone fell,” according to the statement. “It should be emphasized that no fire was directed at UNIFIL forces.”
Shoshani said the incident was under review.
UNIFIL claimed in a statement on Sunday that the UAV flew over the peacekeepers “in an aggressive manner,” adding they had “applied necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralize the drone.”
The statement added that a second drone dropped a grenade, after which an IDF tank allegedly fired a round in the direction of the peacekeepers.
“Fortunately, no injury or damage was caused to the UNIFIL peacekeepers and assets,” according to the statement.
“These actions by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are in violation of Security Council resolution 1701 and Lebanon’s sovereignty, and show disregard for safety and security of the peacekeepers implementing Security Council-mandated tasks in southern Lebanon,” it added.
On Nov. 26, 2024, Israel and Lebanon signed a ceasefire deal aimed at ending more than a year of war between the IDF and Hezbollah. The Iranian-backed terror group began attacking the Jewish state in support of Hamas in the aftermath of its Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
Since the truce, the IDF has conducted frequent raids to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding infrastructure in Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire.
On Sunday, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem told Lebanon’s Al-Manar TV, which is affiliated with the Iranian-backed terrorist organization, that it had a “legitimate right” to possess weapons, despite the truce agreement requiring it to disarm.
