Lebanon announces the death of a second French UNIFIL soldier
The Lebanese presidency announced the death of a second French soldier from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as a result of his wounds sustained during the shooting incident that targeted an international force patrol in the town of Ghandouria in southern Lebanon last Saturday.
The presidential statement said on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, that President Joseph Aoun officially informed the news of the death of the soldier, who was among those injured in the attack, reiterating his condemnation of the incident and offering his condolences to the French state and the UNIFIL leadership.
Aoun considered that the late soldier "joined with his comrade the convoy of martyrs of the international forces who watered the land of the south with their blood, as did the martyrs of the Lebanese army and security forces."
Macron blames Hezbollah
UNIFIL announced on Saturday (April 18th) that one of its members was killed and three others, including two in serious condition, were wounded after a patrol affiliated with it came under fire from "non-governmental actors" in southern Lebanon.
In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron commented on the incident, announcing that First Sergeant Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineering Regiment was killed and three other soldiers were wounded, saying that "the data indicate that the responsibility for this attack belongs to Hezbollah," calling on the Lebanese authorities to arrest the perpetrators immediately and cooperate fully with UNIFIL.
Hezbollah denies
Hizbullah denied any connection with any operation against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and said in a statement that it "denies its connection to the incident that occurred with UNIFIL forces in the Ghandouriya area of the Bint Jbeil district in the south of the country," calling for "caution in issuing judgments and responsibilities about the incident pending the investigations of the Lebanese army to find out the full circumstances of the incident."
The party stressed "the continuation of cooperation between the people in the south, UNIFIL and the Lebanese Army , stressing the need for coordination between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL in its actions, especially in these delicate circumstances.
The party was surprised by "the positions that were quick to throw accusations at a time when these parties are absent and their voice is not heard when the Israeli enemy attacks UNIFIL forces.
What are UNIFIL forces?
UNIFIL is the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), an international United Nations peacekeeping mission deployed in southern Lebanon, established in 1978 by Security Council resolutions 425 and 426, following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon that year.
Its primary tasks are to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, to restore international peace and security in the region and to assist the Government of Lebanon in extending its effective authority in the south.
After the 2006 war, UNIFIL's mandate was strengthened by Security Council Resolution 1701 to include monitoring the cessation of hostilities, supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces in its deployment to the south, and ensuring humanitarian access, consisting of approximately 10,000 troops from some 50 countries, as well as civilian personnel and a naval force monitoring the Lebanese coastline.
As for its scope of deployment, it operates in the area between the Litani River in the north and the Blue Line (between Lebanon and Israel) in the south, and its headquarters are located in the town of Naqoura.