October 8, 2026
Representative Melhem Khalaf condemned the shooting that targeted a site belonging to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the vicinity of the town of Kfar Shuba, considering the incident a dangerous and unacceptable development, and stressing the need not to treat it as if it were a passing event or try to justify it under any pretext.
Representative Khalaf’s position came in response to UNIFIL’s announcement that one of its positions near Kafr Shuba on the Blue Line in the eastern sector was exposed to small arms fire on Wednesday morning. The UN mission explained that its members took cover immediately after the shooting began, without recording any casualties, while the incident resulted in material damage to residential units and vehicles inside the site.
Khalaf stressed that UNIFIL forces do not represent a party to any conflict, but rather operate under a mandate issued by the UN Security Council, stressing that their presence in southern Lebanon represents a fundamental pillar within the system of international legitimacy aimed at maintaining security and stability and supporting the implementation of relevant international resolutions.
He pointed out the necessity of not turning the lives of UN force members and their locations into battlefields or tools for sending political and military messages, calling for a serious and transparent investigation to uncover the truth, determine responsibilities, and hold those involved accountable.
Khalaf concluded by stressing that the Lebanese state, which repeatedly calls on the international community to preserve the role of UNIFIL and prevent any security vacuum in the south, cannot tolerate any attack targeting it, calling for strengthening the presence of the state and the law, and stressing that protecting the international force is a protection for international legitimacy and the desired stability in Lebanon.
