From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
IDF denies carrying out drone strike close to UNIFIL in Lebanon
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF denies that a drone strike it carried out in southern Lebanon this week was close to UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping force there.
According to the military, it was working to demolish a Hezbollah site in the village of Kfarkela that was previously used by the terror group to store weapons.
“Contrary to UNIFIL’s claims, no UNIFIL forces were identified in the area at the time of the strike,” the IDF says in response to a query from The Times of Israel.
The group, whose full name is the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, had accused the Israeli military of flying drones “aggressively” above its observers, with one dropping a “stun grenade that exploded about fifty meters away from the peacekeepers.”
“We emphasize that the IDF does not operate against UN forces in the area, but rather against the Hezbollah terror organization, and in accordance with the understandings and UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” the military adds.
In recent months, UNIFIL has made an increasing number of complaints against the IDF. The observer force’s mandate is due to expire at the end of the year.
The Times of Israel Community.