The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said three peacekeepers were injured inside their base amidst heavy firing on Friday.
“The most severely injured has been transferred to hospital in Beirut for treatment. The two others are being treated in a UNIFIL medical facility. A fire on the base has been extinguished,” UNIFIL said in a statement.
The circumstances of “this terrible event” at the Al Qawzah base in south-western Lebanon would be investigated, it added.
“It is unacceptable that peacekeepers performing Security Council-mandated tasks are targeted. We strongly remind all actors of their obligations under international law to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and properties at all times,” UNIFIL said.
“Any attack on UNIFIL peacekeepers constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and of the Security Council Resolution 1701 and may amount to a war crime.”
Earlier, security sources had reported that a UNIFIL post had come under Israeli fire. The Israeli military stated it was investigating the matter.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the “unacceptable attack” on UNIFIL in a post on X.
Lebanon reports deaths during Israeli strikes
Several people were killed in nationwide Israeli attacks on Lebanon throughout Friday, Lebanese authorities said.
The Health Ministry reported that nine people were killed and 17 others wounded in an attack in Nabi Sheet in the east of the country.
In further attacks in the capital Beirut, at least two people were killed and three others wounded, according to the authorities.
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) also reported an attack on Majdal Shams in the south of the country, in which nine people were killed. The victims were all members of the same family, most of them women and children.
The Lebanese Ministry of Health had earlier reported that more than 200 people had been killed in Lebanon since the latest escalation.
Hezbollah says it will not lay down arms
Hezbollah has again emphasized its readiness to continue fighting amid ongoing Israeli attacks on sites in Lebanon.
“We will not lay down our weapons and we will not leave the battlefield,” the organization said in a statement.
Local news reports said on Friday a French initiative was proposed overnight which included the idea of Hezbollah’s complete surrender in exchange for stopping the war on Lebanon.
However, a government source said Hezbollah continues to reject any negotiations over a ceasefire conducted by the Lebanese government, insisting that only the movement’s own representatives could take part in such talks.
The statement came as the Israeli military carried out a new wave of strikes in Lebanon, mainly targeting the Dahiyeh suburbs of the capital Beirut. Israeli airstrikes there have continued since late Thursday night.
Tens of thousands of residents have fled the densely populated neighbourhoods.
Hezbollah meanwhile has claimed responsibility for launching several more volleys of rockets toward Israel.
Hezbollah began firing rockets at Israel on Monday in response to the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. Since then, Israel has been intensifying its attacks in Lebanon.
Weary residents seek shelter
According to the Lebanese government’s crisis unit, nearly 100,000 people have sought refuge in emergency shelters.
But the number of displaced is believed to be higher, as many residents without shelter have moved to other parts of Beirut, some staying in hotels or rented apartments.
Others have set up tents on open land on the outskirts of the suburbs after leaving their homes on Thursday.