The Israeli army announced the results of its investigation into the incident of wounding members of the United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (“UNIFIL”), stressing that the explosion was not the result of any of its operations.
In a statement, the army explained that it conducted an in-depth operational review during the past hours about the incident that occurred near the Beni Hayyan area in southern Lebanon, where there were reports that UNIFIL personnel were injured as a result of the explosion of an explosive device. He stressed that investigations showed that his forces did not plant any devices in the area and were not present at the site of the explosion at the time it occurred.
The statement continued that the army’s operations target Hezbollah, “and not against UNIFIL, the Lebanese army, or Lebanese civilians,” calling on the United Nations force to move away from areas of clashes regarding which warnings are issued to evacuate civilians.
UNIFIL had previously announced the death of two soldiers from the Indonesian battalion and the injury of others following an explosion near Beni Hayyan in southern Lebanon, describing the incident as the second fatal accident within 24 hours.
The international force announced the launch of an investigation to determine the details of the incident, coinciding with the escalation of military operations on the southern front and the exchange of bombing, which increased the risks facing the peacekeeping forces deployed in the region in accordance with Resolution 1701 issued by the Security Council.
The incident sparked widespread international condemnation and calls to ensure the safety of the United Nations forces, amid conflicting accounts about who was responsible for the bombing, in light of the continuing military operations in the south.
