Tensions Rise Between Israel, UNIFIL

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

UNITED NATIONS — A potentially volatile incident involving a German helicopter — which took off from a ship in a Lebanese port — and two Israeli F–16 fighter jets has increased tensions between the Israeli army and the mostly European force under U.N.command in Lebanon.

The incident was first reported yesterday by the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, which quoted a German defense official as saying the Israeli jets flew low over the German ship and fired twice. The report did not specify the date of the incident but said it happened near the Lebanese border town of Naqoura, where the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon has its headquarters.

A U.N. official who asked not to be identified yesterday told The New York Sun that the German ship involved in the incident is not part of UNIFIL and is not under its command.

A spokesman for the Israel Defense Force yesterday was quoted in Israeli press reports as saying a helicopter had taken off from the German ship without notifying the Israeli air force. The Israeli jets did not fire, according to the spokesman. A separate German report said the Israeli jets fired two flares, which are sometimes used as camouflage against anti-aircraft missiles.

Last week, France warned that Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace could prompt a launch of French anti-aircraft missiles by UNIFIL troops who might feel threatened. Israeli officials said reconnaissance flights over Lebanon would continue as long as Hezbollah is still armed.

Prior to sending troops to UNIFIL, German officials said that for historical reasons, Germany would avoid deploying its soldiers to positions that could pit them against Israeli troops. Instead, Germany agreed to take command of UNIFIL’s naval contingent, which is responsible for controlling the flow of arms to Lebanon. Ten days ago, eight German ships and 1,000 service personnel joined the force.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use