BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Two U.N. peacekeepers were injured by an Israeli attack near a watchtower in southern Lebanon on Friday, according to Israel's military, as explosions once again rocked the peacekeepers' primary base in the area within a 48-hour period during an ongoing clash between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, along with Western nations, denounced the assault. The U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, referred to the situation as a “serious development," emphasizing that the safety of U.N. personnel and their assets must be ensured.

France, in response, summoned Israel’s ambassador, co-issuing a statement alongside Italy and Spain that labeled such strikes “unjustifiable.” U.S. President Joe Biden voiced concerns, urging Israel to avoid targeting UNIFIL units. Meanwhile, Russia expressed outrage, calling on Israel to cease hostilities against peacekeepers.

In Gaza, medical personnel reported that at least 13 Palestinians died from Israeli airstrikes late Friday on a residence in Jabalia. Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) indicated many more remain trapped in the area, following Israel's offensive that began a week earlier aimed at halting Hamas militants' activities.

That same night, the Israeli military reported air raid sirens in central Israel after detecting two drones from Lebanon. One drone was intercepted, though some damage occurred in a building in Herzliya. No casualties were reported.

Israeli forces acknowledged that two peacekeepers were injured by Israeli fire while engaged with Hezbollah. Earlier, a warning had been issued advising peacekeepers to seek shelter, the military said, identifying the wounded as Sri Lankan personnel, according to the United Nations.

Hezbollah issued a statement late Friday claiming Israeli forces had failed in their attempts to penetrate southern Lebanon, encountering strong resistance which had purportedly caused significant Israeli losses.

The group further accused Israel of utilizing residential homes in several northern Israeli towns as staging grounds, cautioning the settlers to evacuate these areas.

The tense exchange of rocket fire between Hezbollah and Israel escalated a year prior when Hezbollah, backed by Iran, initiated rocket attacks to show solidarity with Hamas during the early stages of the Gaza conflict.

Hostilities have dramatically increased in recent weeks, with Israeli airstrikes targeting locations in southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs, and the Bekaa Valley, resulting in the deaths of several key Hezbollah leaders. In retaliation, Hezbollah has launched rockets deeper into Israeli territory.

In the latest escalation, an airstrike in central Beirut overnight left 22 dead and 139 injured, according to caretaker Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The Lebanese army reported additional casualties, with two soldiers killed and three wounded during an Israeli assault on a military base in southern Lebanon.

Amid the heightened alert across the region, tensions remain high, with eyes on Israel's potential response to the Iranian missile strikes on October 1.

Meanwhile, the conflict’s impact has also begun to stretch into Syria. A Syrian security source reported U.S.-led coalition forces had struck Iranian-linked targets near Deir el-Zor’s airport in northeastern Syria late Friday.

According to Israel, the ongoing campaign in Lebanon is part of their efforts to secure the northern region following rocket attacks by Hezbollah that have forced tens of thousands of Israeli residents to evacuate over the past year.

The Israeli military's expanded operations have displaced over 1.2 million individuals in Lebanon. The Lebanese government has reported that more than 2,100 people—both civilians and combatants—have been killed since the conflict began, with more than 10,000 injured, including scores of women and children.

In Israel, Hezbollah attacks have resulted in the deaths of at least 54 individuals, according to Israeli authorities, who noted that the majority of fatalities were civilians.

On Friday, Israeli military chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi stated that the military operations would continue “until we are certain that residents can return to their homes safely and with long-term security.”

Hezbollah’s media chief, Mohammad Afif, reaffirmed the group’s resolve to militarily defeat Israel but expressed willingness to explore diplomatic solutions to halt what they described as “aggression.”

Concerning the Israeli strike that hit the U.N. watchtower in Naqoura, UNIFIL reported that an Israeli bulldozer had knocked down barriers near several U.N. posts along the Blue Line, the unofficial border between Lebanon and Israel. Additionally, Israeli tanks were sighted moving near U.N. positions.

UNIFIL operates with over 10,000 personnel from various countries, including Italy, France, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India.

Ireland, which maintains a contingent of around 340 troops within UNIFIL, condemned Friday’s attack as intentional. Lieutenant General Sean Clancy, Irish Defence Forces’ chief of staff, remarked, “Firing a tank round directly at an observer post in a precise manner suggests this was no accident; this was a deliberate action.”

On Thursday, two Indonesian peacekeepers were injured when they fell from a watchtower after Israeli tanks opened fire nearby. Israel later stated that Hezbollah militants use areas around U.N. posts to launch their attacks.

Security sources disclosed that Thursday night’s Israeli airstrike in Beirut targeted senior Hezbollah figure Wafiq Safa, but although Safa survived, Hezbollah denied that senior members were present during the attack.

At a hospital in Beirut receiving those injured in the strikes, a man with heavily bandaged knees and his body covered in injuries sat in a corridor awaiting treatment.

A security source said eight members of one family, who had fled from southern Lebanon, were among the dead—three of whom were children.

“The situation … it’s beyond words,” lamented Wael al-Jaroush, head of Makassed hospital’s medical department. “We handled three martyrs … their body parts barely recognizable.”

In northern Israel, the military reported that a Thai worker was killed due to falling debris, likely from Lebanese artillery. Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force claimed to have eliminated a Hezbollah commander using anti-tank missiles in Ramot Naftali; Hezbollah has yet to comment on the incident.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they had recovered the body of Brigadier General Abbas Nilforoushan—their deputy commander—killed in an Israeli attack on September 27, alongside Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. The Guards stated that Nilforoushan’s remains would be returned to Iran for burial.