UN peacekeepers injured during exchange of strikes between Israel, Hezbollah

The Ghana Armed Forces said two of their soldiers serving in UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, were “critically injured” after their position came under missile fire on March 6.

In a statement issued on X, the Ghanaian army said their headquarters in southern Lebanon suffered “two missile attacks” within less than 10 minutes on Friday evening, CNN reports.

“Two soldiers are critically injured, while one other has been traumatized. Additionally, the Officers’ Mess facility also got hit and has been burnt down completely,” the statement reads, adding that the injured are being treated.

The statement did not specify whether the missiles were fired by Israel or Hezbollah, instead attributing them to the “fallout of the current on-going (Israel Defense Forces) and Hezbollah exchanges.”

The Ghana Armed Forces added that it had registered an official complaint with UN headquarters in New York.

In a statement to CNN, UNIFIL said “three peacekeepers were injured inside their base in Al Qawzah, southwestern Lebanon,” adding that the peacekeeper most severely injured was transferred to a hospital in Beirut for treatment, while the other two are being treated at a UNIFIL medical facility.

UNIFIL said it will investigate the circumstances of the attack.

“Any attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of the Security Council Resolution 1701 and may amount to a war crime,” the statement read.

In response to questions from CNN, an Israeli military official said, “IDF is aware that a number of UNIFIL soldiers were injured. The source of the launch (i.e. who fired) is under investigation.”

The peacekeeping mission has operated in southern Lebanon for more than 45 years, made up of personnel from more than 50 countries.

During Israel’s last invasion of Lebanon in 2024, Israeli officials accused Hezbollah of operating in areas near UNIFIL positions. IDF troops also occasionally fired on peacekeepers and forcibly entered UNIFIL facilities.