A convoy of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) vehicles was attacked on Friday evening by Hezbollah supporters near Beirut International Airport.
Footage from the area showed at least one UN vehicle being burned and several UNIFIL staff members being injured.
The Lebanese Army eventually arrived and dispersed the crowd. A Lebanese security source told Reuters that at least one UN peacekeeper was wounded in the incident.
UNIFIL later confirmed that its Deputy Force commander was injured in the incident, saying in a statement, “This evening a UNIFIL convoy taking peacekeepers to Beirut airport was violently attacked, and a vehicle was set on fire. UNIFIL’s outgoing Deputy Force Commander, who was returning home after ending his mission, was injured.”
“We are shocked by this outrageous attack on peacekeepers who have been serving to restore security and stability to south Lebanon during a difficult time,” it added.
“Attacks on peacekeepers are flagrant violations of international law and may amount to war crimes. We demand a full and immediate investigation by Lebanese authorities and for all perpetrators to be brought to justice. Peacekeepers continue to work to restore security and stability in south Lebanon in accordance with our mandate under Security Council resolution 1701.”
The incident was related to protests against the Lebanese government over its prevention on Thursday of a plane from Tehran to Beirut from landing.
Pro-Hezbollah media reported on Thursday that Lebanon is blocking the flight from landing in the country to follow an Israeli demand to prevent Iran from transferring funds to the Hezbollah terrorist organization via civilian flights.
Kan 11 News Arab affairs correspondent Roi Kais published footage showing disgruntled passengers at Tehran Airport protesting the Lebanese government's decision.
Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, revealed on Wednesday that in recent weeks, the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Hezbollah terrorist organization have been exploiting Beirut's airport to smuggle funds through civilian flights.
Adraee stated that these funds are intended to strengthen Hezbollah and carry out terrorist operations against Israel.
He noted that the IDF is in contact with the ceasefire monitoring mechanism and is transferring relevant information to thwart these smuggling operations. However, the IDF estimates that despite these efforts, some of the money transfers have still been successful.
Meanwhile on Friday, Iran barred Lebanese planes from repatriating dozens of Lebanese nationals stranded in Iran, in response to Lebanon’s refusal to let the Iranian flight land in Beirut.
Iran said it would forbid Lebanese flights to land in the country until its own flights were cleared to land in Beirut.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)