Saturday, a French unit of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was shot at by Israeli troops as they inspected an earth barrier built by Israeli soldiers near Wadi Qatmoun, at the edge of the border town of Rmeich in Bint Jbeil district. According to the National News Agency (NNA), the patrol had been scheduled and Israel had been warned that UNIFIL peacekeepers would be present in the area, so mistaken identity was not the concern here.
Earlier during the day, roughly two hours before the attack, Israeli soldiers reportedly used machine guns to fire on the eastern districts of the border town of Kfar Shuba in the district of Hasbaya. The attack caused material damage to residences and vehicles, as reported by NNA. Furthermore, Israeli fighter jets were also heard breaking the sound barrier over the Bekaa Valley earlier during the afternoon.
France is among the guarantors of the ceasefire, and therefore the targeting of its soldiers becomes even more critical. The situation is exacerbated by Israel's recent bombing of Beirut, which was condemned by French President Emmanuel Macron as an "unacceptable ceasefire violation." It is the first time that one of the nations tasked with enforcing the ceasefire has publicly weighed in on the issue, although there have been over 1,000 documented Israeli violations, many of which have included airstrikes. Macron stated he would discuss the matter with US President Donald Trump, although so far, it is not known if this has been done or if the US has made any statement on the bombings.
Israeli troops have, in the Lebanon invasion, strafed and bombed UNIFIL personnel and UNIFIL bases on many occasions. Whilst not all these attacks were mounted against French peacekeepers, Macron has been severe in his condemnations of such actions.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visited Paris over the weekend to speak with French officials regarding the recent Israeli attacks. Israel complained about Aoun's trip, alleging that he was attempting to interfere with enforcement of the ceasefire deal.
These events mirror the heightened tensions and reemphasize the need for more diplomatic efforts in order to guarantee compliance with the ceasefire and protect the security of UN peacekeepers operating in the region.