A UN peacekeeper in Lebanon died on Thursday from wounds sustained when mortar shells hit his position near Marjayoun in southeastern Lebanon late the previous night, the UN peacekeeping mission said.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said two other peacekeepers were wounded and that it had opened an investigation into the incident.
A UNIFIL peacekeeper died early this morning from critical injuries sustained when mortar shells struck his position near Marjayoun, southeastern Lebanon.
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) June 4, 2026
Two other peacekeepers, who also sustained injuries, are being treated at a medical facility in the UNIFIL base.
It did not say where the shells originated. However, the UN peacekeeping mission had repeatedly reported on Israeli hampering of its work in southern Lebanon.
Deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701, and may amount to war crimes.
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) June 4, 2026
Earlier in April, the UNIFIL said Israeli forces obstructed a routine logistical convoy heading from Beirut to its headquarters in Naqoura, raising concerns over repeated restrictions affecting its operations.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said Monday (June 1) that peacekeepers will be needed in Lebanon after the mandate of the current mission expires at year-end.
Last August, the UN Security Council, under US pressure, decided to end the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on December 31, 2026.
However, it asked Guterres to propose options by June 1 to allow UN peacekeepers to remain in Lebanon, particularly to monitor the Blue Line, which stretches for 120 kilometers (75 miles), marking the de facto border between Lebanon and occupied Paestine — now the middle of the Israel-Hezbollah war.
In a report to the Security Council on Monday, Guterres proposes three options ranging from nearly 2,000 to more than 5,500 UN personnel to monitor the ceasefire and support the Lebanese armed forces, AFP reported.
Source: UNIFIL and Al-Manar English Website