In a recent incident near a southern Lebanese border town, several United Nations (UN) technical observers were injured in a blast, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the area. Although two security sources told Reuters that the incident was the result of an Israeli strike, Israel's military spokesman, Avichay Adraee, denied the allegations, stating that Israeli forces did not hit any vehicle belonging to UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL has now evacuated the injured observers for medical treatment, as investigations continue to determine the origin of the explosion. While UNIFIL has refrained from attributing the strike to Israel so far, UNTSO, which monitors the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, clarified that its personnel are unarmed, while UNIFIL operates as an armed peacekeeping mission.

The UNIFIL statement emphasized the importance of international humanitarian law, stating that all actors have a responsibility to ensure the protection of non-combatants, including peacekeepers, journalists, medical personnel, and civilians. It further called for a cessation of the ongoing heavy exchanges of fire to prevent further harm to innocent individuals.

Over the past six months, Israel has engaged in clashes with the Lebanese armed group, Hezbollah, in addition to its ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Israel's shelling in Lebanon has resulted in the deaths of approximately 270 Hezbollah fighters, but has also claimed the lives of around 50 civilians, including children, medics, journalists, and even members of the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission.

This is not the first time that UNIFIL has been affected by the hostilities. In November, one of its patrols was hit by Israeli gunfire in southern Lebanon, although no casualties were reported at the time. Additionally, last month, UNIFIL accused the Israeli military of violating international law for firing on a group of identifiable journalists, resulting in the death of a journalist from Reuters. However, Israel has denied targeting the reporters.

As investigations into the recent blast near the Lebanese border town continue, UNIFIL calls for an end to the violence to prevent further casualties among both combatants and non-combatants. The focus now lies on determining the cause of the explosion and holding accountable those responsible for the attack on the UN observers.