Beirut, Oct 27 (NationPress) The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported that one of its patrols was fired upon by Israeli forces, yet no personnel were harmed and no equipment sustained damage.

According to UNIFIL's statement, at approximately 5:45 p.m. (1545 GMT) on Sunday, an Israeli drone approached a UNIFIL patrol near the village of Kafr Kila and released a bomb.

Shortly thereafter, an Israeli tank targeted the peacekeeping forces. Thankfully, there were no injuries or damage to UNIFIL personnel or their equipment.

The statement clarified that this incident followed an earlier encounter in the same vicinity, where an Israeli drone flew aggressively over a patrol, prompting UNIFIL to adopt defensive measures, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

UNIFIL condemned these actions as violations of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and Lebanese sovereignty, emphasizing that they jeopardized the safety of peacekeepers executing the Security Council's mandate in southern Lebanon.

As of now, there has been no immediate response from the Israeli government.

UNIFIL positions have faced multiple attacks since the onset of cross-border skirmishes triggered by the Gaza conflict that began in October 2023.

Despite a ceasefire established between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel has continued to carry out sporadic strikes in Lebanon, citing threats from Hezbollah, and has not withdrawn from border positions despite a February 18 deadline.

Israeli airstrikes in southern and eastern Lebanon have claimed three lives, despite a ceasefire that commenced nearly a year ago, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

Initially, Lebanese authorities reported that two individuals were killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday, but later revised the death toll following an additional strike.

Two victims were identified from the eastern Baalbek region, while the third was killed in Naqoura within the southern province of Tyre.

The Health Ministry indicated that one of the victims was a Syrian national who was struck in the town of al-Hafir in Baalbek.

The Israeli military stated that the targets were Hezbollah members.

In their statement, they confirmed the killing of Ali Hussein al-Mousawi in eastern Lebanon.

Al-Mousawi was allegedly responsible for purchasing and transferring weapons from Syria to Lebanon and played a crucial role in the re-establishment and strengthening of Hezbollah, according to the Israeli army.

The Israeli military also claimed that Abed Mahmoud al-Sayed, a local Hezbollah representative in the village of Ras Biyyada, was killed in the Naqoura attack.

Hezbollah has yet to confirm these reported fatalities.

Last week, a group of UN experts expressed serious concerns regarding Israel's ongoing assaults in Lebanon.

"These attacks have led to increasing civilian casualties and destruction, affecting vital infrastructure and agricultural zones that are essential for civilian livelihoods," they stated.

Under the terms of the November 2024 ceasefire, Israel was supposed to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon by January 2025. However, Israeli troops remain stationed at five border outposts deemed strategic.