U.S. President Joe Biden has made an urgent appeal to Israel to halt its attacks on United Nations peacekeepers, following two incidents in Lebanon that left four peacekeepers injured. The most recent attack occurred on Friday when Israeli troops injured two Sri Lankan soldiers from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) near the town of Naqoura.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) admitted responsibility, claiming its soldiers identified a threat and opened fire, which they described as a defensive measure. The incident is now under investigation. On Thursday, two Indonesian peacekeepers were also injured when an Israeli tank fired near an observation tower.

Biden's condemnation is part of mounting international pressure. Leaders of France, Italy, and Spain have issued a joint statement condemning Israel's actions, calling them unjustifiable and demanding an immediate end to the attacks. The head of UN peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, suggested some of the incidents appeared to involve direct targeting of UN positions, heightening global concern.

The Sri Lankan government has joined in the condemnation, calling the attack on its soldiers unacceptable. Meanwhile, the IDF has continued its ground operations in southern Lebanon, with heavy exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters. Approximately 100 rockets were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel on Friday, further escalating tensions.

Hezbollah's actions, which began last October after Hamas’s deadly attack in southern Israel, have intensified as both sides trade near-daily fire. Israeli forces are also conducting airstrikes, with one raid in Sidon, southern Lebanon, killing three civilians, including a two-year-old girl.

The situation in southern Lebanon continues to deteriorate, with the Lebanese Ministry of Health reporting two Lebanese soldiers killed in Israeli attacks on Friday. Meanwhile, rescue workers in Beirut are still searching through the wreckage of buildings hit by Israeli airstrikes earlier in the week.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati of Lebanon has called Israel's latest strikes "a crime directed at the international community" after an attack on Thursday left 22 civilians dead and over 100 injured. Israel has not responded to these claims.

Tensions remain high as Israel continues to push for UNIFIL peacekeepers to move northwards by 5km to avoid danger, a request denied by the UN. The peacekeeping force, comprised of 10,000 personnel from 50 countries, has been stationed in Lebanon since 1978 to maintain stability along the "Blue Line" between Lebanon and Israel. Despite ongoing calls for de-escalation, the conflict shows no signs of abating.

In Gaza, meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis worsens. Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp has been under siege for seven days, with Doctors Without Borders warning that thousands, including its staff, are trapped. Israeli forces issued evacuation orders but continued airstrikes, making it unsafe for civilians to leave. Gaza’s al-Awda Hospital, now critically low on supplies, is expected to run out of fuel soon.

With the situation in both Lebanon and Gaza intensifying, the international community continues to call for restraint, but the conflict’s toll on civilians and peacekeepers alike is deepening by the day.