Amid the hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, two peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were killed on Monday after an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan in southern Lebanon. A third peacekeeper sustained severe injuries, while a fourth was also wounded in the incident, the UN peacekeeping mission said.
The attack marks the second fatal incident involving UN peacekeepers in the past 24 hours, raising serious concerns about the safety of personnel deployed along the volatile Blue Line separating Israel and Lebanon.
UNIFIL officials said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the explosion. The mission extended its “sincerest condolences” to the families, friends, and colleagues of the fallen peacekeepers, while expressing hope for the swift recovery of those injured.
“This is a stark reminder that no one should ever have to die serving the cause of peace,” the mission said in a statement, stressing the urgent need for all parties to respect international law and ensure the protection of UN personnel and property.
UNIFIL also warned that deliberate attacks on peacekeepers constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law and breach United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, potentially amounting to war crimes.
Describing the situation on the ground as “extremely volatile” and “extremely dangerous,” UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel highlighted the escalating risks faced by peacekeepers amid ongoing hostilities.
The latest deaths follow a separate incident on Sunday, in which an Indonesian UNIFIL peacekeeper was killed and another seriously injured in Lebanon amid hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters.
Earlier, reacting to Sunday’s incident, UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the violence and urged all sides to uphold international law.
“The human cost of this conflict is far too high,” the UN said, urging an immediate end to the violence.