On 18 Mar 2026 the IDF issued a statement admitting firing missiles from a tank that injured three Ghanaian personnel 6 Mar during a period of intense kinetic activity at Ghanbatt HQ in Al Qawzah UNP 5-66.  On 6 Mar, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) confirmed the Bn HQ was hit by two missile strikes between 1745 and 1752 local time. Two soldiers were reported to be in critical condition, while a third was suffering from psychological trauma. Initial medical care was administered at a Level One Medical Bunker before the most severely injured peacekeeper was transferred by Irishbatt personnel in an armoured ambulance to UNP 2-24 for onward evacuation to Beirut.

The IDF media statement said: “A comprehensive investigation concluded in recent days determined that the fire that hit the UNIFIL personnel was mistakenly carried out by the IDF troops that misidentified the UNIFIL troops as the source of the anti-tank fire moments earlier.  The IDF regrets the incident and has conveyed its apologies through the appropriate channels to Ghana and the United Nations. The findings of the investigations have been disseminated within the IDF to prevent recurrence of similar incidents”

On 6 Mar, UNIFIL officials warned that the targeting of personnel operating under an international mandate is a grave breach of global norms. The mission stated that “any attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of the Security Council Resolution 1701 and may amount to a war crime.” This resolution, established after the 2006 Lebanon War, serves as the primary legal framework for the presence of international troops along the Blue Line. UNIFIL stressed that “it is unacceptable that peacekeepers performing Security Council-mandated tasks are targeted.”

Photo Caption:  UN Secretary-General António Guterres visited Ghanaian peacekeeper L/Cpl Albert Abrefa Busia in a Beirut hospital.