A Serbian peacekeeper is dead. Two others are wounded. And a fragile ceasefire agreement announced just hours later already appears under strain because Hezbollah was never part of the negotiations.
Sergeant Milovan Jovanović, serving with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), was killed early Thursday morning when mortar fire struck his position near Marjayoun in southeastern Lebanon. He was airlifted to a hospital in Beirut but later died from his injuries, according to Serbian authorities. Two fellow peacekeepers wounded in the same attack are being treated at a UNIFIL medical facility.
Jovanović is the seventh UN peacekeeper killed in Lebanon since hostilities resumed on March 2, when Hezbollah fighters fired into northern Israel. The escalation followed Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran in late February, widening a conflict that has become increasingly difficult to contain.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack, offering condolences to the peacekeeper’s family and colleagues. He reiterated that attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701 and may constitute war crimes. UNIFIL echoed the call for restraint, stating simply: “The violence must end.”
The attack occurred only hours before Washington announced a renewed ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Hezbollah’s military wing immediately rejected the deal, calling it “futile.” According to reports, the agreement includes the establishment of “pilot zones” where the Lebanese Armed Forces would assume control, though implementation remains uncertain.
Despite Hezbollah’s rejection, Guterres welcomed the agreement and urged all parties to support efforts toward de-escalation. He called on Hezbollah to respect the authority of the Lebanese government and its exclusive control over weapons, while also urging Israel to complete its withdrawal north of the Blue Line. The United Nations, he said, remains committed to supporting diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a lasting cessation of hostilities.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll continues to mount. More than one million people have been displaced across Lebanon since March. In Beirut’s southern suburbs alone, an estimated 200,000 residents fled after the Israel Defense Forces issued evacuation orders on June 1.
UNICEF reported that many families no longer feel safe in their homes, returning only during daylight hours to assess damage before leaving again before nightfall.
Videos circulating earlier this week showed thousands of vehicles streaming out of Beirut’s southern districts as residents fled the area amid fears of further escalation.
An investigation into Thursday’s mortar attack is ongoing, and the source of the fire has not yet been determined. UNIFIL reported an “increasingly high number of trajectories and impacts” across southern Lebanon, underscoring the growing dangers faced by peacekeepers operating in the region.
Sergeant Jovanović deployed to Lebanon as part of an international mission to help maintain peace and stability. He did not return home.
Photo Courtesy: UN Website / UNIFIL
