An Israeli strike near a UN peacekeeper watchtower in southern Lebanon injured two UNIFIL peacekeepers on Friday, as tensions between Israeli forces and Hezbollah continue to escalate. The peacekeepers, both from Sri Lanka, were wounded when explosions shook their base for the second time in 48 hours.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and various Western nations condemned the attacks, with France summoning Israel’s ambassador and calling the strike “unjustifiable.” The U.S. has urged Israel to avoid targeting UN peacekeeping forces, while Russia voiced its outrage, demanding that Israel cease its actions against peacekeepers.
Hezbollah stated that Israeli attempts to advance into southern Lebanon were met with significant resistance, resulting in heavy losses for Israel. The group warned civilians in northern Israeli towns being used by the military to evacuate as they consider these locations legitimate targets.
Israel’s military has been intensifying its campaign in Lebanon, aiming to secure northern Israel from ongoing Hezbollah rocket attacks. Meanwhile, Lebanon reports that the conflict has displaced over 1.2 million people and resulted in over 2,100 deaths since it began a year ago.
The conflict shows no signs of abating, with Hezbollah firing rockets deeper into Israeli territory and Israel launching more strikes. UNIFIL, which has over 10,000 personnel in Lebanon, expressed deep concern for the safety of its peacekeepers, with Ireland’s Defense Forces describing the attack on a watchtower as deliberate.