A French contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrols the area as displaced residents make their way back to their homes in the southern Lebanese area of Al-Qasmiyeh. AFP
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun vowed to prosecute those who targeted French UN peacekeepers, killing one and wounding three.
In a statement shared by the presidency, Aoun expressed his condolences to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in a phone call, condemning the incident and vowing that Beirut "will not hesitate to pursue those involved and bring them to justice".
Menawhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that French United Nations peacekeepers had been attacked in southern Lebanon, ordering an investigation into the incident.
"I condemn in the strongest terms today's attack on members of the French battalion in UNIFIL," Salam said, referring to the peacekeepers, adding that he gave "strict instructions for an immediate investigation to uncover the circumstances of this attack and hold the perpetrators accountable".
A spokesperson for UNIFIL confirmed to AFP that an incident involving their peacekeepers took place in Ghandouriyeh, southern Lebanon, saying they are looking into it without giving additional details on the nature of the attack or casualties.
United Nations peacekeepers said on Saturday that "non-state actors" were thought to have been behind a deadly attack on their personnel in southern Lebanon, saying it could have been Iran-backed Hezbollah.
In a statement, the UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) said that an "initial assessment indicates the fire came from non-state actors", adding that it was "allegedly" Hezbollah.
The force urged Lebanon to "swiftly initiate an investigation to identify and hold the perpetrators accountable" for what it called a "deliberate" attack.
Hezbollah denied it was involved in a deadly attack on United Nations peacekeepers (UNIFIL) in southern Lebanon, after being accused of being behind the incident.
"Hezbollah denies any connection to the incident that occurred with UNIFIL forces in the Ghandouriyeh-Bint Jbeil area, and calls for caution in making judgments and assigning responsibilities regarding the incident pending the Lebanese army's investigations to determine the full circumstances of the incident," the group said in a statement.
UNIFIL patrols in south Lebanon near the Israeli border where Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting since last month after the Iran-backed militant group drew Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran.
Three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed last month, with a preliminary UN investigation finding one was killed by Israeli tank fire, while the two others were killed by an improvised explosive device likely planted by Hezbollah.
Other UNIFIL peacekeepers have also been wounded since the war erupted, and in April, Israeli soldiers destroyed surveillance cameras in UNIFIL's headquarters, the peacekeeping body said.
Last week, an Israeli tank twice rammed peacekeeping vehicles, causing damage but no injuries, according to UNIFIL.
United Nations peacekeepers have served as a buffer between Lebanon and Israel for decades, but their mandate concludes at the end of this year.
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