IDF soldier on guard duty near Lebanon
IDF soldier on guard duty near LebanonIsrael News Photo: (archive, IDF)

The United Nations accused Israel of violating agreements Tuesday morning after the IDF “accidentally” fired into Lebanon.

According to a report by the Lebanese Army, an IDF patrol fired five bullets at a spot near the village of El Adeisse across the border, hitting a wall that bore an anti-Israel slogan. The wall is located about 20 meters inside the Lebanese border.

The slogan was painted on a mural of a blue Star of David – a Jewish symbol and the sign of Israel’s flag – with a clenched fist coming out of it. Above the star were the words, “Divine Victory,” intended as a reference to the Hizbullah terrorist term for the 2006 Second Lebanon War with Israel.

According to the United Nations, only two of the five rifle shots hit the mark.

U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe criticized the shooting as “a serious incident” and said it was a violation of the ceasefire agreement that ended the 34-day war. She added that the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) “protested to the Israel Defense Force” and said the UNIFIL commander had contacted senior officers in the Lebanese Army as well.

IDF officials responded to Okabe’s statement with one of their own, saying the incident was an accident and assuring the international body an investigation would be carried out.

There have been three Katyusha rocket attacks on northern Israel from Lebanon since January, despite the UNIFIL presence, which was supposed to prevent such incidents. A number of people were injured and a number of buildings were heavily damaged, including a nursing home.

The Hizbullah terrorist organization, which largely controls southern Lebanon, has each time denied any connection with the attack. The Lebanese government condemned the attack – and Israel’s retaliation – each time.