Serbian UN peacekeeper killed in Lebanon mortar attack as UNIFIL death toll reaches seven

A Serbian peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has died after mortar shells struck his position near Marjayoun in south-eastern Lebanon, the mission said, bringing the number of UNIFIL peacekeepers killed since the latest escalation began in March to seven.

The peacekeeper was identified by the United Nations as Sergeant Milovan Jovanivić. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the killing and expressed his condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of the peacekeeper, whom the UN described as a “blue helmet”.

UNIFIL said Jovanivić died early on Thursday from critical injuries sustained when mortar shells hit his position late on Wednesday night. Two other peacekeepers were injured in the same incident and were receiving treatment at a UNIFIL medical facility.

The critically injured peacekeeper was initially treated after the attack and then evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in Beirut, where he later died. Serbian authorities confirmed he was a Serbian national and said he had received emergency medical care after his base came under attack.

UNIFIL said it had launched an investigation “to ascertain the exact circumstances that led to this tragic incident”, adding: “The violence must end.” The mission did not say where the shelling originated.

The incident occurred amid intensifying exchanges of fire between the Israeli military in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah fighters, who are not part of the Lebanese army. The attack also came hours before a US-announced ceasefire renewal agreement between Lebanon and Israel, which Hezbollah’s military leadership reportedly rejected as “futile”.

Guterres said all attacks on peacekeepers must be promptly investigated and those responsible prosecuted and held accountable. He urged all combatants to respect the cessation of hostilities announced on 16 April and said the UN remained committed to supporting diplomatic efforts towards an extension of the cessation of hostilities and full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701.

UNIFIL said deliberate attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law and of Security Council Resolution 1701, and may amount to war crimes. The mission called on all actors to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property, and urged national authorities to investigate the incident and ensure criminal accountability.

The Secretary-General welcomed the ceasefire deal reached in Washington and called on all parties to respect the agreement and comply with international law. He also called on Hezbollah to respect the authority of the Lebanese Government and its exclusive control over weapons, while pressing Israel to withdraw fully from north of the Blue Line of separation.

The latest death adds to a series of fatal incidents involving UNIFIL personnel since hostilities escalated on 2 March.

On 29 March, UNIFIL said a peacekeeper was killed when a projectile exploded at a UNIFIL position near Adchit Al Qusayr. Another peacekeeper was critically injured in the same incident. The mission said at the time that it had opened an investigation into the origin of the projectile.

The following day, on 30 March, two more UNIFIL peacekeepers were killed when an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle near Bani Hayyan in southern Lebanon. A third peacekeeper was severely injured and a fourth was also hurt. UNIFIL described it as the second fatal incident involving the mission within 24 hours.

UNIFIL later held a memorial ceremony in Beirut for three Indonesian peacekeepers killed in the March incidents. The mission identified them as Major Zulmi Aditya Iskandar, First Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ichwan and Corporal Farizal Rhomadon.

On 18 April, a UNIFIL patrol clearing explosive ordnance along a road in Ghanduriyah came under small-arms fire from non-state actors. One peacekeeper died and three others were injured, two of them seriously, according to the UN.

On 22 April, UNIFIL said one of the two severely injured French peacekeepers from the Ghanduriyah incident had died at a hospital in Paris.

With the death of Jovanivić, seven UNIFIL peacekeepers have now been killed since the latest hostilities began on 2 March, according to the United Nations. Several others have been wounded.

UNIFIL said it had detected an “increasingly high number of trajectories and impacts” across southern Lebanon. The mission repeated its call for all parties to refrain from actions that could place peacekeepers in danger.

The violence has also displaced large numbers of civilians. The UN said more than one million people had been uprooted in Lebanon since the latest escalation began. In Beirut alone, an estimated 200,000 people were displaced from the southern suburbs after an evacuation order issued by the Israel Defense Forces on 1 June, according to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

UNICEF spokesperson Christophe Boulierac told UN News that families in southern Beirut had been too afraid to remain in their homes, with many returning during the day to check on their property before leaving again at night.

UNIFIL, established in 1978, operates in southern Lebanon and is mandated under Security Council Resolution 1701 to monitor the cessation of hostilities, support the Lebanese Armed Forces and help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations. The mission’s latest statement did not assign responsibility for the mortar fire near Marjayoun and said its investigation was continuing.