The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) issued a warning yesterday, Thursday about the potential for a rapid escalation of tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border, according to the German news agency.
Candice Ardell, the Deputy Director of the UNIFIL Media Office, stated that “the recent tensions at the border in the past few days indicate that events could rapidly evolve.”
The UN official urged both Israel and Lebanon to avoid activities that could further increase tensions in the region.
Lebanese media reports stated that an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targeted Hezbollah members on Wednesday while they were constructing an observation tower on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese town of Yaroun, resulting in three injuries.
The reports further mentioned that Hezbollah retaliated by shooting down the UAV. Ardell confirmed that UNIFIL had been in contact with Israeli and Lebanese authorities, while UN peacekeeping forces continued to monitor the situation along the border.