File Photo: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. AFP
The Serbian peacekeeper, who died from wounds sustained Wednesday from mortar fire at his base, is the seventh person from the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) killed since Lebanon was drawn into the broader Middle East war in early March.
Two other peacekeepers were wounded in the shelling.
"All attacks on peacekeepers must be promptly investigated, and those responsible must be effectively prosecuted and held accountable," said Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, noting that UNIFIL had launched its own investigation.
Based on preliminary observations, "we understand that the position was struck by indirect fire from north of the Litani River," he added.
"The secretary-general again urges all actors to respect the cessation of hostilities announced on 16 April 2026," stressed Dujarric, referring to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon brokered by Washington.
Since the US-brokered mid-April ceasefire, Israeli strikes have killed more than 600 Lebanese across the country. Israel subsequently declared vast areas south of the Zahrani River active combat zones and issued blanket displacement orders that have forced over one million Lebanese to flee, while also occupying swathes of southern Lebanon.
Since the war began, Israel has killed over 3,500 Lebanese and injured thousands more. Hezbollah has been actively confronting invading Israeli forces advancing into southern Lebanon.
The war began when Hezbollah resumed rocket fire on Israel on 2 March after a surprise U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28. Prior to this escalation, Israel had routinely breached a previous 2024 ceasefire by launching airstrikes that killed hundreds of Lebanese civilians and refusing to withdraw from occupied southern territories.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem on Thursday demanded Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon, as an official from his group confirmed it rejected a truce announced following talks between the two countries in Washington.
Guterres on Monday said that peacekeepers would be needed in Lebanon after the UNIFIL's mandate expires at year-end -- an option likely to face opposition from the United States and Israel.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
Short link: