UN Peacekeepers Injured in Israeli Strike Near Awali Checkpoint in Lebanon

People stand next to a damaged U.N. bus in the aftermath of an Israeli strike at the entrance of Sidon, Lebanon, on Nov. 7, 2024. Aziz Taher/Reuters

An Israeli drone strike near the southern Lebanese city of Sidon on Nov. 7 injured five U.N. peacekeepers and wounded three Lebanese soldiers, according to a statement from the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

The incident occurred as a UNIFIL convoy transporting newly arrived peacekeepers was passing through Saida near the Awali checkpoint.

“Five peacekeepers were lightly injured and treated by the Lebanese Red Cross on the spot. They will continue to their posts,” UNIFIL said in a statement. “The Lebanese Army also confirmed three of its soldiers at the nearby checkpoint were injured.”

The Lebanese army said that the Israeli strike killed three civilians who were inside the targeted vehicle.

“An Israeli enemy strike targeted a civilian vehicle near the Al-Awali checkpoint at the northern entrance of Sidon, resulting in the deaths of three civilians inside the vehicle,” the army said in a statement released through the Lebanon National News Agency (NNA).

The wounded soldiers had been serving at the checkpoint when the attack occurred, the NNA reported.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged the strike in an email to The Epoch Times, stating that it targeted Hezbollah terrorists operating in the area of Sidon.

“Shortly after, a report was received regarding a number of UNIFIL soldiers who were injured as a result. The incident is under review,” a spokesperson for the IDF said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times.

“The IDF makes great efforts to prevent harming uninvolved civilians and does not operate against UNIFIL. The IDF operates against the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which continues to carry out terror attacks against the State of Israel.”

UNIFIL in its statement urged all parties to exercise restraint to prevent further harm to peacekeepers and civilians.

“We remind all actors of their obligation to avoid actions putting peacekeepers or civilians in danger. Differences should be resolved at the negotiating table, not through violence,” the peacekeeping force stated.

Civil defense teams responded to the scene, recovering the bodies of the three civilians and transporting them to a government hospital. An additional person was injured and taken to a nearby facility for treatment, according to the NNA.

Hezbollah, designated as a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States, continues to engage in hostilities with Israel along the borders.

Human rights groups on Nov. 6 called for an emergency session of the U.N. Human Rights Council to investigate alleged abuses committed by all parties in the Israel–Hezbollah conflict in Lebanon.

UNIFIL consists of more than 10,000 soldiers from 50 countries and has been stationed in Southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, known as the Blue Line.

The force’s mandate includes observing cease-fire agreements and supporting the Lebanese government’s authority in the region.