The United Nations and France on 27 condemned the Israeli military's recent re-attack on UN peacekeepers' operations in Lebanon.The Israeli army admitted to throwing ammunition, but denied firing on UN forces.

Israeli drone ¡°provocative flight¡±

U.N. Secretary-General spokeswoman Stefan Diarrick said on Monday that an Israeli drone dropped a grenade at the Union Army patrol area in the southern village of Kila in Lebanon, followed by an Israeli tank firing at Union Army peacekeepers, which the UN is deeply concerned about.

Diarrick said the Union forces had ¡°strongly protested the attack and it was not the first time we experienced targeted sexual acts such as laser radiation or gun warnings.¡±

The French Foreign Ministry condemned the attack in a statement on Thursday, saying it was not the first time such an incident had occurred, with the Israeli army launching multiple attacks on UNICEF forces this month.

According to a source from a French diplomat, the 26th patrol mission was carried out by legal peacekeepers.

According to a statement issued by the Union forces on 26th, an Israeli drone provokingly flew over the Union forces patrol earlier that day, and peacekeepers immediately took necessary defensive countermeasures to shoot it down, the statement said that the Israeli military's actions violated UN Security Council Resolution 1701, violated Lebanese sovereignty and also showed disregard for peacekeepers' security.

This is the third time the Allied forces have issued a statement this month condemning Israeli attacks on peacekeepers.

Throw grenades but deny opening fire on peacekeepers

Israeli military spokesman Nadab Shosani responded on social media platform X on 27 that, according to the preliminary investigation, the UNICEF forces stationed near the village of Kila in southern Lebanon on 26 ¡°deliberately¡± fired on an Israeli military drone and shot it down.

Shoshani said that after the drone was shot down, the Israeli army threw a grenade into the area near the drone¡¯s crash, ¡°which needs to be emphasized is that the Israeli army did not open fire on the Union forces.¡±

Under the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon, which entered into force on November 27, Lebanon¡¯s Hezbollah and all Lebanese armed groups pledged not to launch any attacks on Israel and to withdraw north of the Litani River and dismantle military facilities in the south; Israel should stop its military strikes in Libya and gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon by January 26, 2025, i.e. within 60 days.

Since then, Israel has accused Lebanon of not fully implementing the ceasefire agreement and extended the withdrawal period to February 18 this year. After the expiration, the Israeli army said that it would be stationed in five strongholds in southern Lebanon "indefinitely" on the grounds of protecting residents in northern Lebanon. Lebanon demands the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied Lebanese territories.