The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon confirmed on Wednesday that small arms fire targeted a UNIFIL post near Kfar Shouba on the UN-drawn border with Israel. The force stated that several rounds were fired at the position and that no peacekeepers were harmed.
"Such deliberate attacks gravely endanger the lives of peacekeepers," UNIFIL said in a statement, adding that it was investigating the incident.
The attack comes as the peacekeeping mission's mandate is set to expire on December 31, following a decision by the UN Security Council earlier this year under pressure from the United States and Israel. UNIFIL was created after Israel's 1978 invasion to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops and has been renewed annually. Its mandate was expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Israel has long accused UNIFIL of failing to prevent threats from Hezbollah and has pushed for the end of the mission, especially after cross-border fighting escalated following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks on Israel and the subsequent war on Gaza.
UNIFIL currently has 7,500 peacekeepers from around 50 countries in southern Lebanon. Last month, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged the UN to avoid a security vacuum if the force withdraws without a viable replacement.
Violence in the area has decreased since a ceasefire following a June memorandum of understanding in the US-Iran war. Lebanon and Israel signed a US-sponsored framework agreement later that month, which involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region starting with pilot zones.