In brief
A French peacekeeper serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) was killed, and three others were wounded in a deliberate attack during a patrol in southern Lebanon. French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed Hezbollah for the assault, which comes amid heightened tensions following recent clashes in the region.
A French peacekeeper has been killed and three others wounded after a UN patrol came under fire in southern Lebanon, in what officials described as a deliberate attack. The soldier was serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), which confirmed that one peacekeeper had died and three others were injured, two of them seriously, when their patrol came under small-arms fire.French President Emmanuel Macron blamed the attack on Hezbollah. The Iran-backed armed group denied 'any connection' to the incident. It comes amid heightened tensions in southern Lebanon, where peacekeepers have faced growing risks since renewed fighting between Hezbollah and Israel erupted on 2 March.A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on 16 April. The US, which announced the deal, urged Hezbollah to abide by its terms. Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah, Macron said. France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and take their responsibilities alongside Unifil.France's Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin reported that the peacekeeper was part of a mission to reopen access to a Unifil position that had been cut off by recent fighting when it was ambushed by an armed group at very close range. Vautrin stated the soldier was hit immediately by a direct shot from a small arms weapon and was pulled away by fellow soldiers, who were unable to revive him.Vautrin disclosed that Unifil was clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the village of Ghanduriyah to reconnect isolated positions when they came under fire.Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack, indicating an investigation would be launched, while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also ordered an inquiry into the incident. Hezbollah called the accusations against it 'rushed' and 'baseless', urging caution until the Lebanese army concludes its investigation.Unifil warned that deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law and could amount to war crimes. More than 330 peacekeepers have been killed since the UN mission was established in 1978.
