UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon executed a rare defensive operation Sunday, claiming an Israeli drone during a patrol in the southern region, marking the latest confrontation between the international mission and Israeli military, according to BBC. Peacekeepers deployed “necessary defensive countermeasures” after the drone flew in an “aggressive manner” near the border town of Kfar Kila, UNIFIL stated, BBC reported.
UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles ride along a street in Lebanon; Inset: Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem (Anwar AMRO / AFP; REUTERS/Karamallah Daher; Anwar AMRO / AFP;)
Israel’s military countered that the drone performed “routine intelligence-gathering activity,” with spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani writing on X that “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,” according to BBC. Israeli forces subsequently dropped a grenade near the crash site, with Lt Col Shoshani noting that “it should be emphasized that no fire was directed at UNIFIL forces. The incident is being further reviewed through military coordination channels,” BBC stated.
Yesterday, an IDF intelligence-gathering drone was downed in the area of Kfar Kila in southern Lebanon during a routine intelligence-gathering activity in the area.
An initial inquiry suggests that UNIFIL forces stationed nearby deliberately fired at the drone and downed it. The… https://t.co/GPaQU1xiRM
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) October 27, 2025
According to UNIFIL, “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 November 2024ceasefire ending the Israel-Hezbollah conflict has not prevented Israel from conducting drone flights over Lebanon and launching air strikes against individuals and targets it claims are linked to the organization, with Israel saying its actions aim to prevent Hezbollah from regrouping and rearming, according to BBC.
The UN and Lebanese government characterize Israeli operations as sovereignty violations and ceasefire breaches, BBC noted. Such defensive action against an Israeli drone represents an unusual move by UNIFIL , which has operated along Lebanon’s southern border since 1978 and plans to begin a year-long withdrawal at 2026’s end, with October 2024 marking the previous documented case when a German naval vessel participating in UNIFIL neutralized a drone off Lebanon’s coast, according to BBC.
The escalation arrives amid persistent border tension notwithstanding last year’s ceasefire, which required Israeli troops to leave southern Lebanon while Hezbollah moved fighters north of the Litani River and dismantled military infrastructure – provisions the group and supporters firmly reject, BBC stated. Lebanese army personnel and UNIFIL alone hold authorization to deploy armed forces south of the Litani.
An intensive week of diplomatic efforts aimed at reviving the truce awaits Lebanon, with a forthcoming session of the US and French-led ceasefire monitoring mechanism – led by Gen Joseph Clearfield and including US envoy Morgan Ortagus – anticipated alongside visits by Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, BBC reported. US envoy Tom Barrack plans to return to Beirut before incoming US Ambassador Michel Issa arrives to assume the Lebanon portfolio next month, according to BBC.
