On October 13, UNIFIL said two Israeli tanks forced their way into the premises. After they left about 45 minutes later, UN peacekeepers heard shooting sounds north of the gate and soon saw thick smoke penetrating the premises. UNIFIL said 15 peacekeepers were left with irritated skin and stomach despite wearing protective face masks.
The leaked report from an unspecified UNIFIL member-country, cited by the media, suggests that the smoke that penetrated the mission's premises following the shooting sound could be white phosphorus.
On October 1, Israel launched a ground operation against Hezbollah in the south of Lebanon, while also continuing to exchange air and rocket strikes with the Shia movement. The United Nations said its UNIFIL peacekeepers have repeatedly come under fire in the course of Israel-Hezbollah hostilities.