UN peacekeepers announced the shelling of their position in southern Lebanon by the Israeli army.

The Israeli military opened machine-gun fire on a position of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL) near the village of Kfar Shuba in the south of the country. This was announced on January 16 by the press service of the peacekeeping mission.

"This morning, the Merkava tank of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) south of the Blue Line (the temporary line of demarcation between Israel and Lebanon, established by the UN decision. — Ed.) fired about 30 small-caliber bullets at the positions of UN peacekeepers in the area of Kfar Shuba. The bullets hit the guard post," according to a publication on UNFIL's website.

The statement notes that no one was injured during the shelling. UNFIL called on the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to cease fire on their positions and reminded them of their duty to ensure the safety of the peacekeepers' troops. It clarifies that any actions that endanger peacekeepers are in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

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On December 26, 2025, the UN reported that UNFIL peacekeepers were shelled by the IDF twice a day. It was clarified that in another incident that occurred in the village of Kfar Shuba, a patrol of peacekeepers who were carrying out a routine operational task also reported machine-gun fire from Israel in the immediate vicinity of their position.

Prior to that, it was reported that the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon had begun the process of reducing its staff by about 25% due to a reduction in the budget of the world organization. In addition, in 2025, the peacekeepers did not record any military activity on the part of the Hezbollah movement in the mission's area of responsibility — between the Litani River and the Blue Line.

The newspaper El Pais, citing a statement from the Spanish General Staff on January 13, reported that three IDF tanks opened fire on a patrol of Spanish UNFIL peacekeepers. It is noted that Israeli tanks fired three shots in the direction of the patrol of peacekeepers, and the Spanish soldiers were forced to retreat to a safe zone. The article emphasizes that none of the peacekeepers were injured in the incident, and the Israeli tanks returned to their rear base.

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