, April 13 -- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has accused Israeli forces of ramming its vehicles and obstructing peacekeeping operations in southern Lebanon amid escalating cross-border tensions.

In a statement, UNIFIL said Israeli soldiers on two occasions on Saturday rammed UN peacekeeper vehicles with a Merkava tank, causing significant damage in one incident, reports Al Jazeera.

It also alleged that Israeli troops fired "warning shots" over the past week at clearly marked UNIFIL vehicles, striking and damaging them. In one case, a shot reportedly landed about a metre from a peacekeeper who had just dismounted his vehicle.

The mission further said Israeli forces have repeatedly blocked peacekeepers' movements al...