Lebanese President accuses Israel of being behind attack on UNIFIL which injured 3 Ghanaian peacekeepers
Three Ghanaian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have been injured after their base in southern Lebanon was struck during an escalation of hostilities involving Israel and the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.
The incident occurred in the town of Qawzah in the Bint Jbeil district on Friday evening amid heavy exchanges of fire in the region. According to UNIFIL, three peacekeepers were wounded inside their base during the attack, with one of the injured personnel transferred to a hospital in Beirut for treatment.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of being responsible for the strike, describing it as part of a broader pattern of attacks on Lebanese territory.
In a statement, Aoun condemned what he described as “Israeli attacks on Lebanon”, saying they had “even reached the point of a direct assault on UNIFIL”.
The Ghanaian military also confirmed the incident, stating that the Ghanaian battalion headquarters attached to the UN mission came under missile fire. According to the Ghana Armed Forces, the base was hit by two missiles during the confrontation.
“Two soldiers are critically injured, while one other has been traumatised,” the military said in a statement, adding that the Officers’ Mess facility at the camp was destroyed by fire after it was struck during the attack.
The peacekeeping mission said the incident took place while intense fighting was underway in the area.
“Amidst heavy firing this evening, three peacekeepers were injured inside their base in… Qawzah in southern Lebanon,” UNIFIL said, adding that the circumstances surrounding the strike would be investigated.
“It is unacceptable that peacekeepers performing (UN) Security Council-mandated tasks are targeted,” the mission added.
However, Ghana and UNIFIL were silent on the source of the attack.
The attack comes as tensions continue to rise across the region following an expansion of the conflict that has drawn Lebanon further into the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack on the UN mission, describing it as unacceptable and stressing the importance of the peacekeeping force in maintaining stability along the volatile frontier.
“France is working with its partners to prevent the conflict from spreading further in the region,” Macron said in a post on X after speaking with leaders in Lebanon and Syria.
He also emphasised the importance of respecting the sovereignty of countries in the region and reaffirmed France’s continued participation in the peacekeeping mission, which includes about 700 French troops.
UNIFIL has been deployed in southern Lebanon since 1978 to monitor hostilities and act as a buffer between Israeli forces and Lebanese armed groups. Its mandate was strengthened after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah under a resolution of the United Nations Security Council.
More than 10,000 peacekeepers currently serve under the mission, assisting the Lebanese army in extending state authority in southern Lebanon and helping to maintain the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The latest attack highlights the growing risks faced by peacekeeping forces as the conflict intensifies, with UN officials warning that the security situation along the border remains highly volatile.
