The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) says one of its positions along the Lebanon-Israel border was hit by small-arms fire, though no casualties were reported.
According to UNIFIL, the incident occurred on Wednesday morning when several bursts of small-arms fire were directed at one of its positions near Kfar Shouba, along the UN-drawn border with Israel known as the Blue Line.
In a statement, UNIFIL said that "such deliberate attacks pose a serious danger to the lives of peacekeepers" and that it is investigating the incident.
Under pressure from the United States and Israel, the UN Security Council decided earlier this year to set December 31 as the date for ending the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
UNIFIL was originally established to monitor Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon after the 1978 invasion, and its mandate has been renewed annually since then.
The mission was expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Supporters argue that the force still plays an important role in maintaining a demilitarized buffer zone between the two sides along the often tense Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel has long accused UNIFIL of failing to prevent threats from Hezbollah and has increasingly pushed to end the force's mission since cross-border fighting escalated after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel's launch of a military campaign in Gaza.
UNIFIL currently has 7,500 peacekeepers from about 50 countries operating in southern Lebanon.
Last month, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged the United Nations on the need to "prevent a vacuum" that could arise if the mission withdraws from southern Lebanon without a viable replacement force.
Violence has decreased since a ceasefire following a memorandum of understanding in June during the US-Iran war. Lebanon and Israel signed a US-brokered framework agreement later that month.
The Israel-Lebanon agreement includes the disarmament of Hezbollah, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the area, starting with test areas known as "pilot zones."
