Israel has faced a fierce diplomatic backlash over incidents in south Lebanon that saw five Blue Helmets wounded.
On Saturday, the Lebanese health ministry said Israeli air strikes on two villages located near the capital Beirut killed nine people.
Israel had earlier told residents of south Lebanon not to return home, as its troops fought Hezbollah militants in a war that has killed more than 1,200 people since September 23, and forced more than a million others to flee their homes.
“For your own protection, do not return to your homes until further notice... Do not go south; anyone who goes south may put his life at risk,” Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X.
Hezbollah said Saturday it launched missiles across the border into northern Israel, where air raid sirens sounded and the military said it had intercepted a projectile.
In an interview with AFP, UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP he feared an Israeli escalation against Hezbollah in south Lebanon could soon spiral out of control “into a regional conflict with catastrophic impact for everyone.”
The UN force said five peacekeepers have been wounded by fighting in south Lebanon in just two days, and Tenenti said “a lot of damage” had been caused to its posts there.
Around Israel, markets were closed and public transport halted as observant Jews fasted and prayed on Yom Kippur.
After the holiday, attention is likely to turn again to Israel’s expected retaliation against Iran, which launched around 200 missiles at Israel on October 1.
Israel began pounding Gaza shortly after suffering its worst ever attacks from Iran-backed Hamas militants on October 7 last year, and it launched a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon on September 30.
On Friday, Israel faced criticism from the UN, its Western allies and others over what it said was a “hit” on a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon.
Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the second such incident in two days, UNIFIL said Friday.
Israel’s military said soldiers had responded to “an immediate threat” around 50 meters (yards) from the UNIFIL base in Naqura, and has pledged to carry out a “thorough review.”
The Irish military’s chief of staff, Sean Clancy, said it was “not an accidental act,” and French President Emmanuel Macron said he believed the peacekeepers had been “deliberately targeted.”
Both countries are major contributors to UNIFIL whose peacekeepers are on the front line of the Israel-Hezbollah war.
Efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting have so far failed, but Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said his government would ask the UN Security Council to issue a new resolution calling for a “full and immediate ceasefire.”
Lebanon’s military said Friday an Israeli strike on one of its positions in south Lebanon killed two soldiers.
A coalition of 104 UN member states, along with the African Union, condemned on Friday Israel's decision to declare Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "persona non grata."
The group voiced strong support for Guterres in a statement.
The statement, signed by the countries, including Türkiye, criticized Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz’s decision and argued that giving Guterres the "unwelcome" label undermines the UN's mandate.
"In the Middle East, this could further delay an end to all hostilities and the establishment of a credible path towards the two-State solution, with the state of Palestine and Israel living side by side in peace and security, in accordance with the relevant United Nations resolutions," it said.
The statement said the 104 nations reaffirmed full support and confidence in the UN chief and his work.
"We are confident of his commitment to peace and security, and alignment with International Law including in promoting respect for international humanitarian law, and the relevant United Nations resolutions regarding the situation in the Middle East," it noted.
It also urged respect for the UN's leadership and its mission.
"We call upon all parties to avoid actions that could weaken the critical role of the United Nations in conflict resolution and, instead, to support initiatives that contribute to a peaceful and lasting solution of the crisis in the Middle East," it added.
Israel recently declared Guterres "persona non grata" and barred him from entering the country. The decision followed Guterres’ demand for an immediate de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
Israel accused Guterres of failing to mention Iran by name or explicitly condemn Tehran for its alleged involvement in recent rocket attacks.
Guterres condemned the escalation of violence in the Middle East and urged an immediate cease-fire but did not directly refer to Iran’s role.
