Unifil has been working with the Lebanese army to consolidate a truce between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah reached last November.

“This morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired on Unifil peacekeepers from a Merkava tank from near a position Israel has established in Lebanese territory,” the peacekeepers said in a statement, adding heavy machine gun rounds hit about five metres from their personnel.

The force said the peacekeepers were able to “leave safely thirty minutes later” after the tank withdrew inside the Israeli position.

Unifil said the shooting “represents a serious violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701”, which ended a 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and also formed the basis of last November’s truce.

That ceasefire sought to end more than a year of hostilities between the parties that broke out after the start of the Gaza war.

Under the deal, Israel was to withdraw its forces from south Lebanon, but it has kept them at five areas it deems strategic.

It has also kept up regular strikes on Lebanon, mainly saying it is targeting Hezbollah sites and operatives.

Sunday’s incident was not the first in which Unifil accused Israel of endangering its peacekeepers.

“Yet again, we call on the IDF to cease any aggressive behaviour and attacks on or near peacekeepers,” the force said.