French peacekeeper killed in southern Lebanon

A French peacekeeper has been killed and three others wounded after a UN patrol came under fire in southern Lebanon, in what officials described as a deliberate attack.The soldier was serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil), which confirmed that one peacekeeper had died and three others were injured, two of them seriously, when their patrol came under small-arms fire.French President Emmanuel Macron blamed the attack on Hezbollah. The Iran-backed armed group denied "any connection" to the incident.It comes amid heightened tensions in southern Lebanon, where peacekeepers have faced growing risks since renewed fighting between Hezbollah and Israel erupted on 2 March.A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect on 16 April. The US, which announced the deal, urged Hezbollah to abide by its terms."Everything suggests that responsibility for this attack lies with Hezbollah," Macron said."France demands that the Lebanese authorities immediately arrest the perpetrators and take their responsibilities alongside Unifil."France's Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin said the peacekeeper had been part of a mission to reopen access to a Unifil position that had been cut off by the recent fighting when it had been "ambushed by an armed group at very close range".