Just days after a ceasefire began in Lebanon, it appears that Hezbollah has carried out an attack that killed a French soldier. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on social media that Sgt. First class Florian Montorio of the 17th Parachute Engineer Regiment from Montauban fell in southern Lebanon during an attack against UNIFIL.
The attack appeared to be related to Hezbollah, both Macron and UNIFIL stated.
In an unusually firm statement, the French leader added that “everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah. France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and take their responsibilities alongside UNIFIL.” In the past, Hezbollah has gotten away with these kinds of attacks. However, will the group once again get to reassert itself and kill people without any repercussions?
Tensions are high in the region. Israel has also accused Hezbollah of ceasefire violations. Many Lebanese are trying to return to southern Lebanon in the wake of the deal. Israel has said it will keep control of a buffer zone near the border. It is dubbing this the “Yellow Line,” similar to the line in Gaza.
Meanwhile, France could choose to respond. Two weeks ago, reports at Turkey’s Anadolu media noted that “France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle has arrived at Souda Bay in Crete, Greece, for a scheduled refueling stop, local media reported.”
The report added that the vessel had docked “near the city of Chania, and is expected to remain until April 7 before departing for operations in the eastern Mediterranean. Souda Base, located on the northwest coast of Crete near Chania, is a major naval and military facility.”
France has faced criticism in the past from Israel regarding Lebanon. For instance, in the recent talks between Israel, Lebanon, and the US, France was excluded. The US has also seemed nonplussed by European countries' stance on the Strait of Hormuz and the Iran war.
Could the attack on the French forces in UNIFIL in Lebanon finally lead to action? France, historically, has taken attacks on its forces seriously. It is also known for always seeking to bring hostages and detainees home from abroad.
More UNIFIL soldiers killed, wounded by Hezbollah
Macron wrote on X that, in addition to the soldier who was killed, “three of his brothers-in-arms are wounded and have been evacuated. The Nation bows with respect and extends its support to the families of our soldiers and to all our military personnel engaged for peace in Lebanon.”
Hezbollah has murdered other members of UNIFIL. In December 2022, Hezbollah killed an Irish soldier on a UN peacekeeping mission. His name was Seán Rooney. In 2025, Lebanon claimed to have sentenced someone to death for the killing. “The main defendant in the case is Mohammad Ayyad. It is understood he did not appear in court on Monday,” the BBC reported at the time.
He apparently was at “large” at the time. “A number of other men were convicted in relation to the shooting,” the BBC claimed. “The death sentence was announced at a military tribunal in Beirut, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ.”
A number of UN peacekeepers have been killed in the recent fighting in Lebanon. On April 1, the BBC noted that “two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed on Monday by a 'roadside explosion' in southern Lebanon, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix has said, citing the findings of an initial investigation.”
France24 noted that “the incident took place near Bani Hayyan in southern Lebanon, a day after another Indonesian blue helmet was killed when a projectile hit the mission’s base in Ett Taibe and exploded.”
A new BBC report also noted that the Irish contingent, which has been a key part of UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon for decades, is expected to withdraw by 2027. This may be part of the larger UNIFIL withdrawal.