ISTANBUL

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Friday that Israeli tank fire struck one of its positions in southern Lebanon, hours after a drone dropped a hand grenade near UN peacekeepers during a patrol, in repeated violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

The UNIFIL reported on the US social media company X that peacekeepers with the UNIFIL were conducting a scheduled patrol near Adeisse when local residents warned them of a potential danger inside a house.

The patrol found “an explosive device connected to a detonating cord” and established a security cordon, UNIFIL added.

As the peacekeepers prepared to inspect another nearby house, “a drone hovering overhead dropped a hand grenade at a distance of about 30 meters from the peacekeepers,” the statement said. It was unclear if the grenade exploded or not.

UNIFIL said it sent an immediate stop-fire request to the Israeli army, holding it responsible for “endangering the lives of civilians and peacekeepers” through its activities on Lebanese territory.

“These actions constitute violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said, warning that any conduct placing peacekeepers at risk “undermines stability in southern Lebanon.”

The UN mission also said an Israeli Merkava tank south of the Blue Line fired about 30 small-calibre rounds toward a UNIFIL position near the town of Kafer Chouba on Friday.

According to UNIFIL, the bullets hit “a sentry post and one penetrated one of the position's living accommodations, probably after ricocheting.” No casualties were reported.

UNIFIL said it requested an immediate halt to the fire through its liaison mechanisms.

“We remind the IDF (army) of its obligation to ensure the safety of peacekeepers and to cease activities that endanger them and their positions,” UNIFIL said, stressing that any actions placing peacekeepers at risk are “serious violations” of Resolution 1701 and undermine stability in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL was established in 1978 following Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon and saw its mandate significantly expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah under Resolution 1701.

More than 10,000 peacekeepers were deployed to monitor the cessation of hostilities and support the Lebanese army’s presence south of the Litani River.

Resolution 1701, adopted in August 2006, calls for a halt to hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and the creation of a weapons-free zone between the UN-demarcated Blue Line, a de factor border, and the Litani River, except for Lebanese army forces and UNIFIL.

In August 2025, the UN Security Council decided to end UNIFIL’s mandate on Dec. 31, 2026, followed by a one-year plan for a phased drawdown of forces.

Israel has continued violating a ceasefire deal with Hezbollah that has been in place since late November 2024, resulting in hundreds of casualties, while Israeli forces remain on five Lebanese hills seized in the latest war, in addition to other areas occupied for decades.