The UNIFIL stated that an Israeli drone flew over one of its patrols in an “aggressive manner.”

"The peacekeepers applied necessary defensive countermeasures to neutralise the drone," it said in a statement.

The incident "shows disregard for the safety and security of the peacekeepers implementing Security Council-mandated tasks in southern Lebanon," it added.

The UNIFIL later reported that another Israeli drone approached one of its patrols near Kfar Kila and dropped a grenade.

"Moments later, an Israeli tank fired a shot towards the peacekeepers. Fortunately, no injury or damage was caused to the UNIFIL peacekeepers and assets," the statement added.

Despite being the party that initiated the attack, the Israeli military on Monday accused UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon of shooting down one of its drones during “an intelligence-gathering mission.”

“An initial inquiry suggests that UNIFIL forces stationed nearby deliberately fired at the drone and downed it. The drone’s activity did not pose a threat to UNIFIL forces,” Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said on X.

UNIFIL positions have been targeted several times since fighting erupted between Israel and Hezbollah following the start of the Gaza war in October 2023.

Despite last year’s ceasefire agreement, Israel has continued to carry out airstrikes in Lebanon, refused to withdraw from five border sites, and repeatedly violated the truce with deadly raids inside the country.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Sunday that Israeli strikes in the south and east had killed three people.

Officials said one person was killed in an “Israeli enemy strike” on a car in Naqoura, in Tyre province, while another strike on a vehicle in Nabi Sheet, in the eastern Baalbek region, killed one person.

Later, the ministry said another strike on the town of Al-Hafir, also in the Baalbek area, killed a Syrian national and injured another.

Last week, a UN special rapporteur told AFP that Israel’s deadly strikes on civilian vehicles in Lebanon could amount to war crimes, despite Israeli claims that the targets were Hezbollah members.