A French soldier was killed and three others injured when their United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol came under fire on Saturday morning. The attack occurred near the village of Ghandouriyeh, where peacekeepers were clearing explosive ordnance to reconnect isolated positions.
Key Takeaways
A French soldier was killed and three others injured when their UNIFIL patrol came under fire in southern Lebanon. The attack occurred near Ghandouriyeh village during a mission to clear explosive ordnance. Macron blamed Hezbollah, which denied involvement.
- French Staff Sgt. Florian Montorio killed in ambush
- Three other peacekeepers wounded, two seriously
- Attack happened one day after Israel-Lebanon ceasefire took effect
- UNIFIL condemns attack as deliberate and potentially a war crime
- Lebanon's government opens investigation
French President Emmanuel Macron blamed Hezbollah for the incident, stating that 'everything suggests responsibility lies with them.' He demanded that Lebanese authorities arrest those responsible and ensure the safety of UNIFIL soldiers. The attack happened just one day after a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect on Friday.
The deceased soldier was identified by Macron as Staff Sgt. Florian Montorio from the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment in Montauban. French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin described how he was ambushed at close range and fatally shot while attempting to reopen access to an isolated UNIFIL post.
UNIFIL confirmed that one peacekeeper had died and three others were injured, two of them seriously. The organization condemned the attack as deliberate and warned that such actions could amount to war crimes under international law. Hezbollah denied any involvement in the incident, calling Macron's accusations rushed and baseless.
The deadly incidents come just days after an Israel-Lebanon 10-day ceasefire took effect and days before a truce in the United States-Israel war on Iran was set to expire. Lebanon was drawn into the war in early March after Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israel in response to the US-Israeli killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28.
UNIFIL, first deployed in 1978 along the border between Israel and Lebanon, has remained through successive conflicts. Last month, two UN peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon amid Israel's ground invasion of the country. World leaders have condemned the escalating violence and attacks on peacekeepers.
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