Lebanon鈥檚 health ministry said Israeli strikes on two villages Saturday, one north of Beirut and another south of the capital, killed at least nine people.
An 鈥業sraeli enemy strike on Maaysra鈥�, a Shiite Islam majority village in a mostly Christian mountain area north of Beirut, killed 鈥榝ive people and wounded 14 others鈥�, the ministry said in a statement, adding separately that 鈥榝our people were killed and 14 others wounded鈥� in an 鈥業sraeli enemy strike鈥� on Barja in the Shouf district south of the capital.
Israel had earlier told residents of south Lebanon not to return home, as its troops fought Hezbollah militants in a war that has killed more than 1,200 people since September 23, and forced more than a million others to flee their homes.
鈥楩or your own protection, do not return to your homes until further notice... Do not go south; anyone who goes south may put his life at risk,鈥� Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X.
Hezbollah said Saturday it launched missiles across the border into northern Israel, where air raid sirens sounded and the military said it had intercepted a projectile.
UN peacekeepers in Lebanon warned Saturday against a 鈥榗atastrophic鈥� regional conflict as Israeli forces battled Hezbollah and Hamas militants on two fronts, on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.
Israel has faced a fierce diplomatic backlash over incidents in south Lebanon that saw five Blue Helmets wounded.
In an interview with AFP, UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP he feared an Israeli escalation against Hezbollah in south Lebanon could soon spiral out of control 鈥榠nto a regional conflict with catastrophic impact for everyone鈥�.
The UN force said five peacekeepers have been wounded by fighting in south Lebanon in just two days, and Tenenti said 鈥榓 lot of damage鈥� had been caused to its posts there.
On Friday, Israel faced criticism from the UN, its Western allies and others over what it said was a 鈥榟it鈥� on a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon.
Two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the second such incident in two days, UNIFIL said Friday.
Israel鈥檚 military said soldiers had responded to 鈥榓n immediate threat鈥� around 50 metres (yards) from the UNIFIL base in Naqura, and has pledged to carry out a 鈥榯horough review鈥�.
The Irish military鈥檚 chief of staff, Sean Clancy, said it was 鈥榥ot an accidental act鈥�, and French President Emmanuel Macron said he believed the peacekeepers had been 鈥榙eliberately targeted鈥�.
Both countries are major contributors to UNIFIL whose peacekeepers are on the front line of the Israel-Hezbollah war.
Efforts to negotiate an end to the fighting have so far failed, but Lebanese prime minister Najib Mikati said his government would ask the UN Security Council to issue a new resolution calling for a 鈥榝ull and immediate ceasefire鈥�.
Lebanon鈥檚 military said Friday an Israeli strike on one of its positions in south Lebanon killed two soldiers.
In a show of support for Iran鈥檚 ally Hezbollah, the speaker of the Iranian parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visited the site Saturday of a deadly Israeli strike earlier this week.
A source close to Hezbollah said the strike had targeted Hezbollah鈥檚 security chief Wafiq Safa, but neither Hezbollah nor Israel has confirmed he was the target.
Ghalibaf鈥檚 Lebanon visit, a signal of Tehran鈥檚 defiance, comes after Israel vowed to respond to Iran鈥檚 second-ever direct attack.
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has vowed that the response will be 鈥榙eadly, precise and surprising鈥�.
The United States is pushing for a 鈥榩roportionate鈥� response that would not tip the region into a wider war, with President Joe Biden urging Israel to avoid striking Iranian nuclear facilities or energy infrastructure.