National Defence Minister David McGuinty speaks with media before attending cabinet meeting on Parliament Hill, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

By The Canadian Press

CAF members reported safe after missile intercepted near Israel-Lebanon border

Mar 23, 2026 | 11:59 AM

OTTAWA — Canada received reports of damage at a United Nations peacekeeping camp near the Israel-Lebanon border after a missile was intercepted on Sunday, Defence Minister David McGuinty’s office said on Monday.

The damage was reported at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon Camp Naqoura in the south of the country, where the peacekeeping operation is headquartered.

The conflict on the ground triggered by the U.S. and Israel launching airstrikes on Iran late last month has intensified in recent days, with Israel launching strikes against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

Local media reported the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura was hit by a projectile, with explosions and heavy gunfire reported near the camp. Shrapnel reportedly struck several buildings and open areas within the compound.

“The Canadian Armed Forces received reports of damage near the Israel—Lebanon border at the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Camp Naqoura, following a missile interception on March 22, 2026,” said McGuinty’s press secretary Maya Ouferhat.

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“Our (Canadian Armed Forces) members deployed on Operation JADE are safe and accounted for.”

Ouferhat added that National Defence will not provide further details due to “operational security reasons.”

The war in the Middle East widened on March 2 when Hezbollah launched missiles toward Israel, just days after Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran.

According to federal government information from 2024, four officers were deployed to the Middle East on Operation JADE as UN military observers. It’s not clear if that information is up to date.

Some 200 Canadian military members were deployed across the Middle East as of March 5. That figure is also likely out of date.

UNIFIL is a peacekeeping operation in south Lebanon that dates back to 1978 and is made up of more than 7,000 peacekeepers from 48 countries.

The speedy communication about the intercepted missile comes after the Liberal government came in for sustained criticism this month for not being more forthcoming about an Iranian strike that appeared to hit the Canadian section of a military base in Kuwait.

The Quebec newspaper La Presse revealed on March 12 that an attack more than a week earlier appeared to damage a structure at the Canadian camp at the base.

The department took a week to craft a response to a question from The Canadian Press about whether the military assets were damaged.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press