Tensions escalate in Lebanon after UN peacekeepers shoot down Israeli drone
UN peacekeepers shoot down Israeli drone amid tensions in Lebanon
- Tensions have escalated in southern Lebanon following conflicting reports regarding an Israeli drone incident involving UN peacekeepers.
- UNIFIL stated its peacekeepers used "defensive countermeasures" against an "aggressive" Israeli drone, after which an Israeli drone dropped a grenade and a tank fired towards them, with no injuries.
- The Israeli army, however, claimed its drone was on routine reconnaissance and did not fire, adding that Israeli forces threw a hand grenade at the area after the drone was downed.
- This incident occurs amidst intensifying Israeli military actions in Lebanon and a fragile ceasefire established after Israel's conflict with Hezbollah, which began launching rockets in solidarity with Hamas post-October 7.
- The UN peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, established after Israel's 1978 invasion and expanded after the 2006 war, is set to have its mandate ended by December 2026.