Israeli shells hit Nepali peacekeeping shelter in Lebanon, soldiers reported safe

Israeli artillery shells struck the headquarters compound of Nepal’s United Nations peacekeeping battalion in the southern Lebanese border village of Mays al-Jabal on Friday, destroying a shelter belonging to Nepali troops and triggering a fresh wave of international condemnation of attacks on UN personnel.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported the shells landed inside the compound of the Nepali battalion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), close to the Blue Line that demarcates the border between Lebanon and Israel. 

Nepal Army spokesperson Raja Ram Basnet in Kathmandu confirmed the strike and said soldiers were unharmed. A UNIFIL spokesperson separately confirmed that one peacekeeper was lightly injured while moving to a shelter; their nationality was not specified.

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Nepal’s Honorary Consulate General in Beirut said it was closely monitoring the incident and commended the battalion’s swift response in bringing the situation under control. The consulate extended its wishes for a speedy recovery to the peacekeeper who sustained minor injuries, and reiterated its appreciation for the important role played by UNIFIL in maintaining security and stability in southern Lebanon.

The incident took place as UN Secretary-General António Guterres was conducting a solidarity visit to Beirut. He issued a direct appeal to both Israel and Hezbollah to end the fighting: “My strong appeal to those parties, to Hezbollah and to Israel, is for a ceasefire to stop the war.”

Guterres also announced a flash humanitarian appeal to address the displacement of more than 816,000 Lebanese civilians. Official UN documents record the appeal at $308.3 million.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident. Lebanon's government attributed the strike to Israel.

The Mays al-Jabal incident follows a strike on the headquarters of the Ghanaian UNIFIL battalion in al-Qaouzah on March 6, which injured three peacekeepers. Before the resumption of hostilities this month, a UNIFIL foot patrol was targeted by Israeli tank fire in November 2024, with artillery landing within five metres of peacekeepers. 

Between November 2024 and the end of February 2026, UNIFIL recorded more than 10,000 Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace and approximately 1,400 military activities inside Lebanese territory.

Friday’s strike came amid some of the heaviest fighting since hostilities resumed on March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Israeli raids across southern Lebanon reportedly killed at least 13 people on Friday. 

A strike on a medical centre in the village of Burj Qalaouiyah killed 12 medical workers, including doctors, paramedics and nurses, according to Lebanon's Ministry of Health. The Israeli army said it had struck Hezbollah operatives in an adjacent area and warned it would act against any use of medical facilities for military purposes.

UNIFIL has repeatedly stated that attacks on its peacekeepers constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law and of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and may amount to war crimes. 

Meanwhile, the mission itself faces an uncertain future: a recent UN resolution is seeking a cessation of operations by the end of 2026 and final closure by 2027.