UN peacekeeping mission´s patrol attacked by Israel in Lebanon

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement on Saturday that its patrol was hit by Israeli gunfire in the southern Lebanese village of Aitaroun, reported Xinhua.

The UNIFIL patrol was attacked by the Israeli Defense Forces on Saturday noon, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said in the statement, adding that while the peacekeepers' vehicle was damaged, no one was hurt.

"This attack on peacekeepers, dedicated to reducing tensions and restoring stability in southern Lebanon, is deeply troubling," he said.

The Lebanon-Israel border witnessed escalating tension for seven weeks after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel on Oct. 8 in support of the Hamas attacks on Israel the previous day, prompting the Israeli forces to respond by firing heavy artillery toward several areas in southeastern Lebanon.

Under the mediation by Qatar and Egypt, Hamas and Israel on Wednesday agreed to a four-day humanitarian cease-fire. After the truce took effect on Friday, the confrontations on the Lebanon-Israel border de-escalated, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

According to Lebanese military sources, a total of 125 people have been killed in Lebanon since Oct. 8, including 86 Hezbollah members, 14 Hamas members and Islamic Jihad movements, a member of the Amal Movement, and 24 civilians.