The Israeli army accuses UNIFIL of shooting down a spy drone in southern Lebanon, while UNIFIL claims it acted in self-defense.

The Israeli army accused the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Monday of shooting down an Israeli reconnaissance drone in southern Lebanon. According to a spokesperson for the Israeli army, an initial investigation suggests that UNIFIL forces deliberately fired at the drone, which posed no threat to them. Following the incident, Israeli troops launched a grenade in the area where the drone fell. UNIFIL stated that an Israeli drone aggressively flew over one of its patrols, and as a result of this incident, defensive countermeasures were taken.

Additionally, the UN mission accused Israel of firing in the direction of the Blue Helmets, without reporting any casualties. Israel rejected these accusations, stating that there was no intentional fire against UNIFIL. The agreement between Israel and Hezbollah stipulates the deployment of only the Lebanese army and UNIFIL in southern Lebanon, following the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters.