A French soldier has been killed in an attack on a UN peacekeeping patrol in southern Lebanon and the evidence suggests Iran-backed Hezbollah was responsible, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday.
Three soldiers were wounded in the incident, he said in a post on X. Mr Macron also urged the Lebanese government to act against those responsible.
"Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah," he said on X. "France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and take their responsibilities alongside Unifil."
Mr Macron's office said he held calls with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to urge them to "guarantee the security of Unifil soldiers".
Mr Aoun expressed his condolences and pledged to bring those responsible to justice, the Lebanese presidency said in a statement.
Mr Salam said he condemned the attack "in the strongest terms". He also issued "strict instructions for an immediate investigation to uncover the circumstances of this attack and hold the perpetrators accountable".
The Lebanese army said in a statement that Unifil patrol members were caught in an exchange of gunfire with armed men in the Ghandouriyeh area, near Bint Jbeil. It condemned the attack.
Unifil patrols southern Lebanon near the Israeli border. Israel and Hezbollah have been fighting in the area since last month, after the militant group launched rockets at Israel in support of Iran.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon after weeks of Israeli strikes that killed thousands and displaced more than a million in the war with Hezbollah.
The Lebanese army said it is investigating the circumstances of the attack and is working to apprehend those involved. It stressed it is co-ordinating closely with Unifil during what it called a "delicate phase".
Unifil condemned what it described as a "deliberate attack" on peacekeepers. "A Unifil patrol clearing explosive ordnance along a road in the village of Ghandouriyeh to re-establish links with isolated Unifil positions came under small-arms fire from non-state actors," it said in a statement. "Unifil has launched an in investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident."
Unifil peacekeepers have been in the country since 1978 and are charged with monitoring the cessation of hostilities with Israel and supporting the Lebanese armed forces. Peacekeepers have remained in Lebanon through successive conflicts, including a 2024 war between Israel and Hezbollah, during which their positions came under fire repeatedly. Unifil's mandate concludes at the end of this year.
