Three United Nations peacekeepers were wounded after an explosion struck a UN position in southern Lebanon on Friday, marking the third such incident within a week.
Two of the injured peacekeepers were seriously hurt and evacuated to hospital, while officials said the origin of the blast remains unknown, according to UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel.
The attack came as Israeli forces launched fresh airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, targeting what the military described as Hezbollah “terror infrastructure” following evacuation warnings.
Explosions echoed across the largely deserted stronghold as residents fled repeated raids, with Lebanon’s state news agency reporting multiple strikes throughout the densely populated area.
Lebanon entered the widening regional conflict on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel, responding to a US-Israeli strike that killed Iran’s supreme leader.
Israel has since carried out extensive bombardments and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, where authorities say at least 1,368 people have been killed in one month.
Amid the violence, Christians marked Good Friday in Beirut’s Shiyeh neighbourhood, carrying torches and singing hymns near Saint Maroun Church despite nearby bombardment.
Worshippers described resilience shaped by decades of conflict, saying they continued religious traditions while expressing opposition to the war and fear for future generations.
The US embassy in Lebanon warned that Iran and allied groups could attempt attacks on universities, without naming specific institutions or presenting immediate threats.
The warning followed statements by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard threatening US-linked academic institutions after claiming recent strikes destroyed two Iranian universities.
Israel also announced plans to strike bridges in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa region, aiming to block the movement of reinforcements and military equipment toward frontline areas.
Lebanese media reported widespread destruction in southern frontier towns, where Israeli strikes allegedly levelled remaining houses damaged during the previous 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war.
The Israeli military said it had hit more than 3,500 targets since last month, while Hezbollah claimed over 1,300 operations against Israeli positions.
The United Nations says 97 peacekeepers have died since UNIFIL’s creation in 1978, as the mission approaches the end of its mandate later this year.