Beirut: A UN peacekeeper was injured by gunfire from Israeli army positions and a bomb explosion in southern Lebanon, the UN mission in the country, UNIFIL, announced Friday. The peacekeeping mission reported that heavy machine gunfire from Israeli positions south of the Blue Line impacted near a UNIFIL patrol inspecting a roadblock in the village of Bastarra, followed by a grenade explosion nearby. The sound of the gunfire and the explosion resulted in one peacekeeper sustaining a slight injury with ear concussion. No damage was reported in the incident.

According to Anadolu Agency, a separate incident involved a second UNIFIL patrol conducting a routine operational task in the village of Kfar Shouba, which also encountered machine gunfire from the Israeli side close to their position. The UN mission stated that it had informed the Israeli army in advance about the patrol activities, adhering to usual practice for patrols in sensitive areas near the Blue Line.

The mission described the incidents targeting or near peacekeepers as serious violations of Security Council resolution 1701, reiterating its call on the Israeli army to stop aggressive behavior and attacks on or near peacekeepers working for peace and stability along the Blue Line. A ceasefire has been in place in Lebanon since November 2024, following more than a year of attacks that resulted in over 4,000 deaths and 17,000 injuries amid the Israeli war in Gaza.

At least 335 people have been killed and 973 others wounded in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The Israeli army was expected to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January 2025 under the ceasefire agreement but has only partially pulled out, maintaining a military presence at five border outposts.