UN chief 'deeply concerned' amid repeated Israeli attacks near UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed deep concern over the "increased frequency" of attacks impacting UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

"I can tell you that the Secretary-General is indeed deeply concerned by the increased frequency of incidents impacting the safety and security of our peacekeepers in Lebanon," said Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a news conference as he reported that an Israeli tank fired on its peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on Sunday.

Referring to the peacekeeping force, known as UNIFIL, Dujarric said it had requested that the Israeli military "stop the firing immediately," adding that "no UNIFIL personnel were injured" so far.

Guterres has reminded "all parties of their obligations to ensure the protection of UN personnel and property," Dujarric said, noting that "peacekeepers must never be targeted by attacks."

UNIFIL on Sunday said the attack, which occurred near a position erected by Israel inside Lebanese territory, represents a "serious violation" of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The resolution, adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, calls for a cessation of hostilities between the Hezbollah group and Israel, as well as for the establishment of a weapons-free zone between the Litani River and the "Blue Line" boundary mapped by the UN that separates Lebanon from Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Tensions have been mounting in southern Lebanon for weeks, with the Israeli army intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory, allegedly targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

The Israeli army has killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000 in its attacks on Lebanon, which began in October 2023 and turned into a full-scale offensive in September 2024.

Under a ceasefire declared in November 2024, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon this January, but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.