Two peacekeepers were injured on Friday after two explosions occurred near a watchtower in southern Lebanon, according to UNIFIL. The UN force reported that its main base in the region was also shaken by explosions for the second time in 48 hours as Israeli forces engaged in battles with Hezbollah.
In a statement, UNIFIL called the incident a “serious development” and emphasized the need to ensure the security of UN personnel and property.
Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, confirmed that a strike in central Beirut late Thursday killed 22 civilians and injured 139 more. Security sources said the intended target was senior Hezbollah official Wafiq Safa, who survived the attack. A Hezbollah lawmaker visiting the site on Friday stated that no senior Hezbollah officials were present at the time of the strike.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began a year ago when the Iranian-backed group launched rockets into northern Israel in support of Hamas during the onset of the Gaza war. The violence has escalated in recent weeks, with Israeli forces carrying out bombings in southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the Bekaa Valley, resulting in the deaths of many top Hezbollah leaders. Israeli ground troops have also entered parts of southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has responded by launching rockets deeper into Israeli territory.
Israel claims its military campaign in Lebanon aims to secure northern Israel for tens of thousands of people displaced by Hezbollah’s rocket attacks over the past year. The expanded conflict has displaced over 1.2 million people, according to the Lebanese government. The Lebanese health ministry reports that more than 2,100 people have been killed, and over 10,000 injured during the year-long fighting in Lebanon.
“We continue to operate against the enemy and will not stop until we ensure that we can safely return the residents—not only now but with a future outlook,” said Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, in a video released by the military on Friday following his security assessment in southern Lebanon on Thursday.