Two personnel with the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon were wounded by Israeli fire on Friday when Israeli forces responded to a threat, Israel’s military said in a statement.
It said it had instructed personnel with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to go to protected areas and remain there hours before the incident, adding that it is conducting a thorough review.
It comes as France summoned Israel’s ambassador on Friday to seek an explanation after Israeli troops fired at positions held by UN peacekeepers, including at the Naqoura base in southern Lebanon, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“These attacks constitute serious violations of international law and must stop immediately,” the ministry said.
France has about 700 troops as part of the UNIFIL mission. None of its troops has been wounded so far.
The ministry said that all sides in the conflict had an obligation to protect peacekeepers.
The military’s announcement comes as the head of Hezbollah’s media office, Mohammad Afif, said the Lebanese group’s priority right now is defeating Israel militarily but it is open to any efforts to stop “the aggression.” He made the comments in a televised press conference on Friday.
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s army said two people were killed and three others injured after Israeli forces targeted one of its military posts in southern Lebanon’s Kafra.
Around 1.2 million people have been displaced in Lebanon and more than 2,100 people killed in the last year, most of them since Sept. 23, according to Lebanese authorities.
