Three United Nations peacekeepers sustained minor injuries on Sunday, according to the UN, following an explosion near their vehicle close to Lebanon's southern border, where Hezbollah and Israel have engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire. The Iran-backed Hezbollah group has been exchanging cross-border fire with the Israeli army in support of its ally Hamas since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on Israel ignited the Gaza war.
"Earlier today, three peacekeepers on patrol sustained light injuries when an explosion occurred near their clearly marked UN vehicle in the vicinity of Yarine, in south Lebanon," the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) stated in a release. "All peacekeepers in the patrol returned safely to their base. We are investigating the incident," it added. Earlier on Sunday, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that "Israeli enemy warplanes" struck the village of Dhayra, about one kilometre from Yarine, "resulting in injuries."
A Unifil source indicated that the explosion that injured the peacekeepers was likely a nearby air strike, but "not a direct hit." In August, Under Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix stated that Unifil was now "more crucial than ever" amid the ongoing cross-border clashes, as it serves as "the only liaison channel between the Israeli side and the Lebanese side in all its components, such as Hezbollah."
In April, a judicial official revealed that a Lebanese army investigation concluded that a landmine had wounded three UN military observers and a translator the previous month, with Israel implicating Hezbollah. Unifil's mandate, which expires at the end of the month, is expected to be renewed by the UN Security Council for another year. The cross-border violence has claimed 582 lives in Lebanon, predominantly Hezbollah fighters but including at least 128 civilians, according to an AFP tally. On the Israeli side, including in the annexed Golan Heights, 22 soldiers and 26 civilians have been killed, according to army figures.
