Widespread condemnation of Israeli airstrikes on UN in Lebanon

By Nathan Morley

World leaders have condemned attacks on United Nations peacekeepers by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, after a second incident within a two-day period.

The head of UN peacekeeping operations says there is reason to believe that Israel fired directly at UN positions in southern Lebanon after incidents which wounded UN personnel.

In a joint declaration, the leaders of France, Italy and Spain said attacks were "unjustifiable". At the same time, US President Joe Biden has asked Israel not to hit UN peacekeepers while conducting operations against Hezbollah.

Earlier, Lebanon's prime minister claimed 22 people were killed in two Israeli attacks in central Beirut on Thursday.

 The attacks came with no warning, and all the victims were reportedly civilians. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli army says it has intercepted a number of launches from Lebanon, and earlier reported that two drones were detected from Lebanon and another from Syrian airspace.

Elsewhere, Gaza's civil defence agency says 30 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry estimates at least 42,175 people in Gaza have been killed since 7 October last year.