JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Monday accused United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon of deliberately shooting down one of its surveillance drones during a routine intelligence-gathering operation.
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), said in a statement on X that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was downed near the Lebanese town of Kfar Kila.
“An initial inquiry suggests that UNIFIL forces stationed nearby deliberately fired at the drone and downed it,” Shoshani stated. “The drone’s activity did not pose any threat to UNIFIL forces.”
Following the incident, Israeli troops reportedly dropped a grenade toward the area where the drone fell. The IDF clarified that its soldiers did not fire directly at the peacekeepers and that the act was meant to secure the site.
UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, confirmed on Sunday that one of its patrols encountered an Israeli drone flying “aggressively” overhead. “The peacekeepers applied necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralize the drone,” the mission said.
UNIFIL criticized Israel’s drone activity, calling it a “disregard for the safety and security of peacekeepers” tasked with maintaining stability under UN Security Council mandates in southern Lebanon.
Later, the peacekeeping mission reported that another Israeli drone flew close to its patrol near Kfar Kila and dropped a grenade. “Moments later, an Israeli tank fired a shot toward the peacekeepers,” the statement said, adding that no injuries or damage occurred.
The incident has raised fresh concerns over the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, agreed upon last year. Under the deal, Israel was to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah was to move its fighters north of the Litani River and dismantle its southern military infrastructure.
According to the agreement, only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL should operate in the border region. However, Israel has maintained troops in five “strategic” points along the frontier, citing security needs.
Lebanon, under U.S. diplomatic pressure, has recently begun discussions on disarming Hezbollah — a move strongly opposed by the Iran-backed group and its allies.
In recent weeks, Israeli forces have carried out intensified strikes across southern Lebanon, killing several individuals allegedly linked to Hezbollah.
The drone incident marks a new point of tension between Israel and the UN peacekeeping mission, complicating efforts to maintain calm along one of the Middle East’s most volatile borders.