Israel blames Hezbollah for deadly attack on UN peacekeepers

French President Emmanuel Macron identified the fatality as French Sgt. First Class Florian Montorio.

By Ehud Amiton, TPS

The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that its intelligence has confirmed that Hezbollah opened fire on United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon in an attack that killed one soldier and injured three others.

According to the IDF, Saturday’s incident occurred as a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) team was working to clear unexploded ordnance in the Ghandouriyeh area, around 10 kilometers from the Israel-Lebanon border.

During the operation, a Hezbollah cell fired on the force, resulting in casualties among the peacekeepers.

“The Hezbollah terrorist organization continues to exploit the ceasefire to carry out terror activities while endangering and harming international forces and personnel in Lebanon.”

French President Emmanuel Macron identified the fatality as French Sgt. First Class Florian Montorio.

“Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah,” Macron tweeted on Saturday.

UNIFIL condemned the attack and attributed it to “non-state actors,” a term often used in reference to Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Hezbollah denied involvement.

Separately on Sunday, the IDF said an Israeli reservist was killed and nine soldiers were wounded, one seriously, by an explosive device in southern Lebanon on Saturday.

The soldier was identified as Sgt. First Class (res.) Lidor Porat, 31. According to an initial military probe, an engineering vehicle operating in IDF-controlled territory drove over a bomb believed to have been planted by Hezbollah.

Troops securing the area were hit by the blast, resulting in additional injuries.

A 10-day ceasefire went into effect on Friday night.