Three Ghanaian peacekeepers injured in Lebanon attack, President Aoun blames Israel

Three Ghanaian soldiers are fighting for their lives after their United Nations base in southern Lebanon was struck by missiles during escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

The attack on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) position in the town of Qawzah, Bint Jbeil district, occurred Friday evening amid intense exchanges of fire in the region, the peacekeeping mission has confirmed.

According to the Ghana Armed Forces, the Ghanaian battalion headquarters came under direct missile fire, with two missiles striking the base. Two soldiers sustained critical injuries, while a third peacekeeper has been traumatised. One of the injured personnel has been transferred to a hospital in Beirut for treatment. The Officers’ Mess facility at the camp was destroyed by fire following the strike.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun immediately accused Israel of being behind the attack, describing it as part of a broader pattern of aggression against Lebanese territory. In a strongly worded statement, Aoun condemned what he termed “Israeli attacks on Lebanon,” saying they had “even reached the point of a direct assault on UNIFIL.”

Neither Ghana nor UNIFIL officially attributed blame for the attack, with the peacekeeping mission stating that the circumstances surrounding the strike would be investigated.

“It is unacceptable that peacekeepers performing Security Council-mandated tasks are targeted,” UNIFIL said in a statement, while confirming that three of its personnel had been wounded inside their base amidst the heavy firing.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack on the UN mission as unacceptable, emphasising the critical role peacekeeping forces play in maintaining stability along the volatile frontier.

“France is working with its partners to prevent the conflict from spreading further in the region,” Macron posted on X after holding discussions with leaders in Lebanon and Syria. He reaffirmed France’s continued participation in the mission, which includes approximately 700 French troops.

UNIFIL has maintained a presence in southern Lebanon since 1978, tasked with monitoring hostilities and serving as a buffer between Israeli forces and Lebanese armed groups. The mission’s mandate was strengthened following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

Currently, more than 10,000 peacekeepers serve with the mission, supporting the Lebanese army in extending state authority in southern Lebanon and helping to maintain the fragile ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Hezbollah.

Friday’s attack underscores the mounting dangers facing peacekeeping forces as regional tensions intensify, with UN officials warning that the security situation along the Lebanon-Israel border remains extremely volatile. The incident threatens to further destabilise an already precarious situation as Lebanon becomes increasingly drawn into the widening confrontation.