Unprovoked Aggression Against Peacekeeping Operations
Israeli drones deliberately dropped four grenades near UNIFIL peacekeepers in southern Lebanon on September 2, 2025, with one explosive landing within 20 meters and three others within 100 meters of personnel and vehicles. This attack occurred while UN forces were clearing roadblocks southeast of Marwahin village, a mission for which the Israeli military had been explicitly notified in advance. UNIFIL condemned the incident as "one of the most serious attacks" since the November 2024 ceasefire, highlighting Israel’s blatant disregard for peacekeepers’ safety and international law.
Israel’s Dismissive Justification and Pattern of Violations
The Israeli military claimed the attack responded to "suspicious activity" using stun grenades, insisting there was "no intentional fire". However, UN officials emphasized that Israel’s prior knowledge of UNIFIL’s coordinates renders this explanation implausible. UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated, "They knew exactly where we were, when we were going to be there… this could have been very tragic indeed". This incident reflects a broader pattern: Israeli forces attacked UNIFIL over two dozen times during the 2023-2024 war, often with impunity.
Strategic Targeting to Enforce Illegal Buffer Zone
Analysts suggest the attack was a calculated message to prevent international access to the Lebanese-Israeli border region. Since the ceasefire, Israel has established a de facto buffer zone inside Lebanon, occupying at least five positions in violation of Resolution 1701. By obstructing UNIFIL’s road clearance work, essential for displaced civilians returning to destroyed villages Israel aims to consolidate this illegal occupation while hampering reconstruction efforts.
International Condemnation and Complicit Silence
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun denounced the attack as "blatant defiance of the international community", while France and Qatar condemned it as a violation of humanitarian law. Notably, the UN Security Council’s recent decision to terminate UNIFIL by 2026, pushed by the U.S. and Israel emboldens such aggression. The U.S. has consistently undermined UNIFIL, with Acting Ambassador Dorothy Shea declaring this mandate extension the last, effectively greenlighting Israeli violations.
Broader Context of Israeli Attacks on Lebanon
This incident aligns with Israel’s ongoing violations of the ceasefire, including near-daily airstrikes that have killed civilians and destroyed infrastructure. Since October 2023, Israel’s war on Lebanon has killed over 4,000 people, displaced hundreds of thousands, and caused $11 billion in damage. The targeting of UNIFIL serves to eliminate witnesses to these crimes, as the force documents Israeli violations that would otherwise go unreported.