Peacekeepers with the UN mission in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) shot down an Israeli drone over the weekend, prompting the French government to condemnt attacks against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.
UNIFIL on Sunday said that a patrol came under grenade fire from an Israeli drone and tank fire near Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon. It said no injuries or damage were reported in the attack. The peacekeeping mission also said that an Israeli drone flew over a UNIFIL patrol in the same area, prompting peacekeepers to take defensive measures to neutralize it.
The Israeli military said the drone had been on a routine reconnaissance mission close to UNIFIL troops and denied it had fired at them. “After the drone was shot down, Defense Army forces threw a hand grenade at the area where the drone was downed,” Israeli spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Monday on X.
The exchange took place as Israeli strikes across Lebanon intensify, testing a fragile ceasefire that ended Israel’s war with Hezbollah last November.
The French Foreign Ministry on Monday condemned recent Israeli attacks targeting a UN peacekeeping patrol in southern Lebanon.
“France condemns the Israeli fire that targeted a UNIFIL detachment on October 26, 2025. These incidents follow those observed on October 1, 2, and 11, when the Israeli army had already targeted UNIFIL positions,” the ministry said. Paris reiterated the need to protect peacekeepers and ensure the safety of UN personnel and property in line with international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701. It also called for full freedom of movement for UNIFIL and reminded all parties that the November 26, 2024 ceasefire remains binding. France urged Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory.