Shafaq News – Beirut

On Thursday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel's "deliberate" targeting of United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, calling it the "most serious attack" since the November 27, 2024, ceasefire.

The strike came less than a week after the Security Council extended the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) mandate through 2027.

According to a statement from the Lebanese Presidency, Aoun held a phone call with UNIFIL Major General Diodato Abagnara, explaining that Israeli drones dropped bombs near peacekeeping positions while troops cleared road barriers near Marwahin village. Israel's advance knowledge of the operation, he added, proved the strike was premeditated.

Israel has denied intentionally targeting peacekeepers, however, claiming forces conducted a "precise operation" against suspected military positions in the area.

Despite the ceasefire, UNIFIL has recorded over 4,800 Israeli violations in Lebanon, resulting in about 240 deaths and 480 injuries.