File image, via the UNIFIL account on X.
French President Emmanuel Macron on April 18 blamed Hezbollah for an attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that claimed the life of a French soldier and wounded three others.
“Everything points to Hezbollah being responsible for this attack,” Macron said on X, urging Lebanese authorities to arrest the perpetrators.
In a statement, UNIFIL said that a patrol clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the town of Ghanduriyah in southern Lebanon to re-establish links with isolated positions of the observer force came under small-arms fire from “non-state actors.”
“Tragically, one peacekeeper succumbed to his injuries and three others were injured, two of them seriously,” the force added.
UNIFIL condemned what it described as a “deliberate attack on peacekeepers engaged in their mandated tasks,” noting that “the work of explosive ordnance disposal teams is vital in the mission’s area of operations, especially in the wake of the recent hostilities.”
The observer force added that it had launched an investigation “to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.”
France’s armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin said on X that the peacekeeper killed, identified as Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio, was caught in an “ambush” as his unit headed to a UNIFIL outpost, and he died from a “direct gunshot.”
Hezbollah, from its side, denied any involvement, calling for “caution in issuing judgments and responsibilities regarding the incident” while expressing “surprise at the [parties] that rushed to throw accusations arbitrarily.”
Macron’s office said he held calls with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to urge them to “guarantee the security of UNIFIL soldiers.”
A statement by the Lebanese Presidency said that Aoun had expressed his condolences to Macron in a phone call, condemning the incident and vowing that Beirut “will not hesitate to pursue those involved and bring them to justice.”
The incident came just three days after United States President Donald Trump announced a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Amid the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah last month, three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed. A preliminary UN investigation found that one was killed by Israeli tank fire, while the two others were killed by an improvised explosive device likely planted by Hezbollah.
The incident will likely be used to mount more pressure on Hezbollah ahead of planned peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the U.S.
The group has openly rejected any attempts to normalize relations with Israel. It has also maintained that it will not disarm.
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