A French soldier serving as part of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon was killed, with the French leader stating that all evidence points to Hezbollah as responsible for the attack.
On 18 Apr 2026 GMT+7, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that officer Florian Montorio from the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment, serving in Lebanon under the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was killed in today's attack. Additionally, three other soldiers were wounded.
The French leader added, “All evidence indicates that Hezbollah is responsible for this attack,” urging Lebanese authorities to immediately apprehend the perpetrators.
Hezbollah denied the allegations, issuing a statement calling for “caution in rushing to blame anyone until the Lebanese army's investigation is complete to determine the true cause.”
Meanwhile, UNIFIL stated in a release that while patrol units were clearing explosives on a road in the village of Ghanduriyah in southern Lebanon, they were fired upon by “an armed group not affiliated with any state agency” using small arms, resulting in casualties including deaths. Two soldiers are in critical condition.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the attack and ordered an immediate investigation, adding, “Such irresponsible behavior causes serious harm to Lebanon and its relations with allied countries that have supported us consistently.”
This attack occurred during a declared 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, following the first direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon in decades held earlier this week in Washington, D.C.
However, on Saturday (18 Apr), the Israeli military accused Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire, claiming that several “terrorists” attempted to approach and directly threaten Israeli soldiers, prompting the Israeli forces to “carry out precise strikes against those militants.”
/foreign news updates:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:cnn