Israeli military accuses UN peacekeepers of shooting down drone in Lebanon

The Israeli Defense Force on Monday accused the United Nations' (UN) peacekeepers in Lebanon of shooting one of its drones down on Sunday that was part of an intelligence-gathering mission.

The peacekeepers, dubbed the "United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon" (UNIFIL), said it dropped a drone on Sunday that flew over its patrol in an “aggressive manner.” After the drone was shot down, IDF dropped a grenade near the site where the drone was downed, per the Times of Israel. 

IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani said on X that the drone was shot down in the Kafr Kila in southern Lebanon.

"An initial inquiry suggests that UNIFIL forces stationed nearby deliberately fired at the drone and downed it," he wrote. "The drone's activity did not pose a threat to UNIFIL forces. 

"Following the downing of the drone, IDF troops dropped a grenade toward the area where the drone fell," he continued. "It should be emphasized that no fire was directed at UNIFIL forces. The incident is being further reviewed through military coordination channels."

The apparent purpose for dropping the grenade from another drone was to keep people from approaching the location of the downed drone, according to the outlet. 

UNIFIL countered the characterization that the IDF did not open fire on the troops, claiming that an IDF tank shot in the direction of its patrol.

“These actions by Israel Defense Forces are in violation of Security Council resolution 1701 and Lebanon’s sovereignty, and show disregard for the safety and security of the peacekeepers implementing Security Council-mandated tasks in southern Lebanon,” UNIFIL said.

The latest incident comes after UNIFIL accused IDF twice earlier this month of dropping grenades near its observers. The IDF said both times it had attempted to disperse Hezbollah activity, and did not intend to harm UNIFIL observers.

Israel has long claimed that UNIFIL has failed in its mission to block Hezbollah from building up its forces near the Israeli border.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.