Beirut, Lebanon — Tensions along Israel-Lebanon border escalated on Friday as an Israeli airstrike killed two Lebanese soldiers and injured three ors, according to Lebanon’s military. strike occurred in sourn Bint Jbeil province, just hours after anor Israeli attack targeted headquarters of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), wounding two peacekeepers. se incidents have raised alarm over involvement of Lebanon’s army and UN peacekeepers in increasingly intense conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Lebanese military, while not an active party to hostilities, has found itself caught in crossfire as Israeli forces continue to pound Hezbollah positions. Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, has been launching rocket barrages into Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. This comes in wake of Hamas’ devastating attacks on October 7, which killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in 250 being taken hostage. In retaliation, Israel has expanded its military campaign in Lebanon, killing over 2,237 people, including Hezbollah fighters, civilians, and medical personnel, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Among casualties, Lebanon’s health ministry reported deaths of a two-year-old and a sixteen-year-old in sourn village of Baysarieh, both victims of Israeli airstrikes. In Beirut, rescue workers continued to comb through rubble of a collapsed building in Burj Abi Haidar neighborhood, where an Israeli airstrike killed at least 22 people and wounded dozens more on Thursday night.
While Hezbollah has kept up its rocket fire into norrn Israel, Israeli strikes have also targeted Lebanese military positions. On Friday, Lebanese army confirmed that an airstrike hit a building near a military checkpoint in Bint Jbeil. Israeli military claimed it was targeting Hezbollah positions and was unaware of any Lebanese army presence in area. This follows a similar incident earlier in October when Israeli tank fire killed a Lebanese soldier near border.
clashes also put UNIFIL in a precarious position. UN mission, which has over 10,000 peacekeepers from various countries, is deployed in sourn Lebanon to maintain peace under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. However, UN forces have been unable to prevent Hezbollah from entrenching itself in region. Israel has accused Hezbollah of violating resolution by establishing militant infrastructure along border.
On Friday, Israeli military once again opened fire near UNIFIL’s headquarters in sourn town of Naqoura, injuring two peacekeepers, both identified as Sri Lankan nationals. This marked second consecutive day of Israeli strikes against UN positions, prompting strong international criticism. UN and France condemned attacks as violations of international humanitarian law.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel to ensure protection of UN personnel, while U.S. and French governments called for de-escalation. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed importance of safeguarding peacekeepers in a conversation with his Israeli counterpart, while French authorities summoned Israeli ambassador in protest.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s spokesperson warned of an intensification of group’s attacks, promising to expand ir operations deeper into Israeli territory. As Israeli airstrikes continue to devastate sourn Lebanon and parts of Beirut, residents are left grappling with destruction and loss of life, with many displaced from ir homes.
