The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has confirmed it requested a cessation of fire from the Israeli military following an incident where its helicopter landing pad sustained damage from suspected Israeli fire on Monday. The request comes amid ongoing concerns regarding violations of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
According to UNIFIL, peacekeepers sought shelter as a precautionary measure, and no casualties were reported. The incident involved two projectiles, potentially illumination rounds, impacting the helicopter landing pad and the main gate of a UN position southwest of Yaroun, in the Bint Jbeil district. UNIFIL immediately contacted the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to demand an immediate halt to the firing.
UNIFIL has previously accused Israel of endangering its forces in Lebanon through what it described as extremely serious attacks. The frequency of alleged breaches, including incursions and airstrikes, has raised concerns about the stability of the region. Since late November 2024, UNIFIL has documented over 10,000 Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement.
In a separate incident also on Monday, the Spanish Ministry of Defense reported that an IDF tank fired three rounds in close proximity to a Spanish UNIFIL patrol in the buffer zone near Khiam. The rounds landed between 150 and 380 meters from the patrol, but no injuries were sustained. The Spanish ministry emphasized that any hostile act against UNIFIL constitutes a grave violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and endangers the safety of international forces.
Resolution 1701, adopted in August 2006, calls for a cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and establishes a weapons-free zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, with the exception of the Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL. The UN Security Council voted in August to extend UNIFIL’s mandate until the end of 2026, with a projected withdrawal from Lebanon by the end of 2027.
