8 killed, 27 including 5 UN troops injured in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon

Eight people were killed and 22 others injured on Thursday as Israeli airstrikes struck multiple areas in Lebanon, reported Xinhua, quoting Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA).

Two people were killed when an Israeli airstrike targeted a vehicle between the southern villages of Ansar and Doueir, according to NNA. Another two fatalities were reported in the village of Burj al-Muluk in the Nabatieh district, where Lebanese Red Cross workers responded to remove bodies from the rubble.

In Baalbek's Harfouche area, an airstrike killed a woman, while a separate Israeli drone attack near an army checkpoint in Sidon killed three people and injured three Lebanese soldiers and five UN peacekeepers with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

In Tyre, an Israeli strike on a residential building in the Al Athar neighborhood injured 12, with search efforts ongoing for more casualties. Meanwhile, two people were wounded when an airstrike targeted a restaurant along the Deir Qanoun-Ras Al-Ain highway.

Lebanon's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack on the civilian vehicle near the army checkpoint in Sidon, which resulted in three deaths and injuries to three Lebanese soldiers and five UNIFIL peacekeepers from the Malaysian battalion. The ministry described the strikes as "war crimes" and a "flagrant violation of international humanitarian law."

The ministry reaffirmed Lebanon's support for UNIFIL's mission to promote stability along Lebanon's internationally recognized borders amid the Israeli escalation. It also called on the international community to hold Israel accountable for the attacks and reiterated Lebanon's commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Since Sept. 23, Israel has intensified its air campaign against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. According to the Lebanese health ministry, Israeli airstrikes since the outbreak of hostilities on Oct. 8 have claimed 3,102 lives, with 13,819 reported injured.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) announced in a statement on Thursday that five peacekeepers were injured in an Israeli drone attack in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon.

"This afternoon, a UNIFIL convoy carrying newly arrived peacekeepers in Lebanon was passing through Sidon when a drone attack occurred close to it," UNIFIL said in a statement.

"Five peacekeepers sustained minor injuries and were immediately treated by the Lebanese Red Cross before continuing their journey to their positions in southern Lebanon," it added.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese army confirmed that three of its soldiers were also injured in the same drone attack that took place near an army checkpoint in Sidon.

"We remind all parties of their obligation to avoid actions that endanger peacekeepers or civilians and that disputes must be resolved at the negotiating table, not through violence," UNIFIL said.

UNIFIL sites and facilities have previously been attacked, causing injuries, against the backdrop of persistent battles between the Israeli army and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

UNIFIL has accused the Israeli army of firing on its sites, which has exposed Israel to international criticism.

Since Sept. 23, the Israeli army has been conducting an intensive air attack on Lebanon in a dangerous escalation with Hezbollah.

Since Oct. 8, 2023, Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been exchanging fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border amid fears of a broader conflict as the war between Hamas and Israel continues in the Gaza Strip.