IDF confirms Hezbollah behind deadly attack on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon

IDF intelligence confirms that Hezbollah operatives opened fire on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon yesterday during the ongoing ceasefire, killing one and wounding three others, two of them seriously, the military says.

According to the IDF, which conducted an operational and intelligence investigation, the incident occurred as a UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) team was operating in the Ghandouriyeh area to clear unexploded ordnance, when a Hezbollah cell shot at the force.

The statement appears to bolster claims by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said Hezbollah was responsible for the death of a French soldier in what France described as an “ambush.”

The slain peacekeeper was identified as Staff Sergeant Florian Montorio, who was killed by a direct gunshot, according to France’s armed forces minister.

UNIFIL condemned the attack, attributing it to “non-state actors,” code for the Iran-backed terror group, and said it had also launched an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.

Hezbollah denied involvement, urging “caution in issuing judgments” and expressing surprise at what it called rushed accusations.

The IDF accuses Hezbollah of exploiting the ceasefire to carry out “terrorist activity,” adding that the group is “endangering and harming civilians and international organizations in Lebanon.”

Aujourd'hui, le sergent-chef Florian Montorio est mort pour la France dans le cadre de l'opération DAMAN, engagement français au sein de la Force intérimaire des Nations-Unies au Liban.

Pris à partie par des tirs, avec sa patrouille au cours d'une mission d'ouverture… https://t.co/7iSCyDAVfo pic.twitter.com/D2NFSRVjgB

— Chef d'état-major des armées (@CEMA_FR) April 18, 2026