UN Peacekeeping Troops in Lebanon Come Under Israeli Attack

Three Ghanaian members of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were injured after their base in Qawzah, southern Lebanon, was struck in an attack that has been suspected to be carried out by Israel on Friday local time. The incident occurred amid rising regional tensions following exchanges of fire between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The attack targeted UNIFIL’s base in the Qawzah area of southern Lebanon. UNIFIL said the incident happened as heavy exchange of fire raged around the site.

‘In the middle of the heavy firing tonight, three peacekeepers were injured inside their base in Qawzah,’ UNIFIL said in a statement.

One of the casualties reportedly sustained the most serious injuries and was immediately transported to a hospital in Beirut for medical treatment.

The UNIFIL contingent hit by the attack is from Ghana. The Ghana military said the battalion’s base came under two missile strikes. In addition to casualties, the strikes damaged several facilities within the base complex.

‘The dining facilities for officers were also hit and burned down,’ the Ghana military said.

Neither UNIFIL nor the Ghanaian military have confirmed who was responsible for the attack. However, UN peacekeeping forces say they will conduct an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident.

‘It is unacceptable that peacekeepers carrying out tasks under a UN Security Council mandate should be targets of attack,’ UNIFIL stressed.

Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun condemned the incident in strong terms and accused Israel of being behind the attack. In his statement, Aoun denounced the assault on Lebanon that even involved an attack directly against UNIFIL.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the attack on the peacekeepers, calling it unacceptable. Macron said France is working with partner countries to prevent the conflict from spreading further in the region. ‘France is cooperating with its partners to stop the conflict from spreading in the region,’ Macron said.

For decades, UNIFIL has served as a buffer between Israel and Lebanon. The force also assists the Lebanese army in dismantling Hizbullah infrastructure near the Israeli border. Currently, UNIFIL plans to withdraw all of its troops from Lebanon gradually by mid-2027.