One French UNIFIL soldier was killed and three others were wounded in an attack on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, a mission also led by the Sassari Brigade.
President Emmanuel Macron confirmed this: "Everything suggests that the responsibility falls on Hezbollah," he wrote on social media. " France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the culprits and assume their responsibilities alongside UNIFIL ." "The nation bows in respect and expresses its support for the families of our soldiers and all our military personnel committed to peace in Lebanon."
The victim is Sergeant Major Florian Montorio : "This morning," UNIFIL said, "a UNIFIL patrol was clearing explosive munitions along a road in the village of Ghanduriyah to re-establish connections with the mission's isolated positions and was hit by small arms fire." An investigation has been launched "to determine the circumstances," even though the "initial assessment points to non-state actors (presumably Hezbollah)." UNIFIL, in conclusion, "condemns this deliberate attack on the UN peacekeepers," and "the work of the explosive device disposal teams is vital in the area."
A truce between Lebanon and Israel began at 11 p.m. on Thursday, as announced by US President Donald Trump, but several violations have already been reported on both sides, and the IDF has also confirmed that it has carried out attacks in the south of the country against Hezbollah militants who have not respected the "ceasefire agreements."
"On behalf of myself and the entire Italian Defense Department, I express my closeness to French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin and the French Armed Forces for the serious attack they suffered this morning in Lebanon, during which a French soldier lost his life and others were injured," Defense Minister Guido Crosetto wrote in X. "My most sincere condolences and solidarity go to the family of the fallen soldier. I extend my best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery to the injured soldiers."
