Israeli drone downed by UNIFIL: Conflicting accounts fuel border tensions

The shooting down of an Israeli drone by soldiers of the United Nations Interim Force in  Lebanon (UNIFIL) near the Lebanese border town of Kfar Kila has snowballed into a major  controversy. The incident on October 26, which took place close to the volatile Blue Line  separating Israel and Lebanon, has led to sharply conflicting versions from both sides.

According to Israel, the drone was engaged in a permissible, low-threat operation and its  activity complied with established operational procedures. IDF’s Arabic language spokesperson  Avichay Adraee said on Monday that the drone was conducting "routine information-gathering  and reconnaissance activity" near UNIFIL forces. Israel denied any hostile intent toward the peacekeepers, asserting that the drone’s activity "did not pose a threat to UNIFIL forces".

Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani, an IDF spokesperson, said that preliminary findings  suggest UNIFIL forces deliberately fired at the drone without justification. He blamed the  UNIFIL action as an unwarranted attack on a non-hostile surveillance operation rather than a  defensive response. Israel also explained what it did after the drone hit the ground. After the drone was down, Israeli forces dropped a hand grenade at the site of the wreckage but stressed that no fire was directed at UN peacekeepers. The IDF argued that the purpose of the grenade was to neutralise sensitive equipment and prevent intelligence from being recovered by others, not to threaten UNIFIL personnel stationed nearby.

UNIFIL, however, challenged the Israeli version of the events, saying that the drone had flown directly over one of its patrols in an aggressive and unsafe manner. The peacekeepers, the mission explained, responded with defensive countermeasures in accordance with their rules of engagement, successfully neutralising the drone. UNIFIL called it a legitimate act of self-defence in response to a perceived threat.

The UN mission accused Israel of escalating the situation after the drone was downed. It said the Israeli grenade was dropped close to a peacekeeping patrol, followed shortly by a tank round fired in the same direction. While no casualties or damage were reported, the mission described these actions as “very, very dangerous” and deeply concerning. The conflicting narratives highlight the lack of trust between the two forces, despite their frequent coordination to prevent border incidents from spiralling into violence.

The incident has drawn strong reactions from the United Nations and from France, which provides a significant contingent to UNIFIL. A UN spokesperson in New York described the situation as alarming and noted that this was not the first time UNIFIL had reported what it considered hostile behaviour by the Israeli army. The spokesperson cited previous incidents involving warning shots and laser targeting of UN personnel. UNIFIL officials have lodged a formal protest with the Israeli military, calling the actions unacceptable.

France also condemned what it described as Israeli fire directed at UN peacekeepers, drawing attention to similar cases earlier in the month. French media, meanwhile, reported that the UNIFIL detachment involved in shooting down the drone was French, and that the decision to act may have been made in consultation with senior national officials rather than solely by the patrol on the ground. It suggests a higher level of authorisation and reflects the increasing caution among contributing nations as tensions rise in southern Lebanon.

Such flare-ups are rare in UNIFIL’s decades-long mission, and the timing could hardly be more sensitive. The border remains tense following last year’s ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which halted months of cross-border strikes but failed to ease underlying hostilities.

Notwithstanding the existing truce on its northern border, Israel routinely conducts aerial surveillance and targeted air strikes in Lebanon. The IDF says such operations are essential to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its arsenal and targeting Israel once again. Lebanon and the UN, however, criticise such incursions as violations of Lebanese sovereignty and of the clauses of the truce agreement. It has kept the region on edge, with both sides blaming each other of undermining the fragile peace.