UNIFIL Downs Israeli Drone Over South Lebanon Amid Rising Tensions

The Israeli military accused UN peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of shooting down an Israeli surveillance drone near the southern Lebanese town of Kfar Kila during a routine intelligence-gathering mission. UNIFIL confirmed it had shot down the drone after it flew over a patrol "in an aggressive manner," and peacekeepers used defensive countermeasures to neutralize the UAV. Following the drone being downed, Israeli forces reportedly dropped a grenade near the UN patrol and fired tank shots toward the peacekeepers, actions UNIFIL condemned as violations of Lebanese sovereignty and UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The Israeli Defense Forces denied firing at UNIFIL personnel and said the drone posed no threat, while UNIFIL described the Israeli actions as disregarding the safety of peacekeepers. This incident highlights the growing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border amid ongoing Israeli strikes against Hezbollah and efforts to maintain a tense ceasefire that ended the 2023 conflict. UNIFIL has been operating in southern Lebanon since 1978, with an expanded mandate after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war, and its mission is set to end in late 2026.