“The corvette brought an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle into the water in a controlled crash,” the spokesman said, reporting no damage to the German vessel or its crew.

The corvette Ludwigshafen am Rhein is continuing its duties, he added.

The DPA news agency first reported on the incident.

Unifil positions have come under fire in Lebanon since Israel launched a ground operation against Hezbollah militants on Oct 1. Five peacekeepers have been injured, according to the UN.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on the UN to withdraw its troops and called allegations that Israel is deliberating targeting the peacekeepers “completely false”.

The recent incidents have sparked widespread alarm among European governments participating in the mission.

“We call on everyone not to obstruct Unifil in the implementation of its mandate. This is the unanimous opinion of the German government, the European Union and ultimately also the United Nations,” a foreign ministry spokesman told reporters on Wednesday.