Lebanon: Beware of misinformation

A Lebanese Army official told AFP that the preliminary results of an investigation into the explosion on Saturday that injured UNIFIL personnel found that it was caused by landmine.

Three UN military observers and a translator were wounded by a nearby explosion while they were on a foot patrol of the Blue Line, an unofficial UN-drawn border between Lebanon and Israel.

The ongoing investigation has not determined who exactly planted the mine.

UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said that preliminary reports showed “the explosion was not caused by direct or indirect fire."

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on Wednesday that a Hezbollah explosive device caused the explosion.

"The explosion that took place ... in Rmeish, which resulted in the injury of a number of UNIFIL personnel, was caused by the detonation of an explosive device that Hezbollah had previously planted in this area," he posted on X.

Adraee did not specify how the army had reached this conclusion and did not provide any evidence to support the claim.

Just hours after this incident, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned an 'Israeli aggression' and called for the intervention of the UN Security Council.

This highlights the lack of impartiality of this political leader.

International news agencies and both local and foreign media had also accused Israel.

During this period of conflict, misinformation spreads like a tornado.