UNIFIL positions come under Israeli fire as UN says 600,000 displaced in Lebanon

The UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has said that three of its positions have come under Israeli fire on both Wednesday and Thursday as Israel intensifies its assault on Lebanon.

Two peacekeepers were wounded on Thursday morning after Israeli tank fire struck observation tower at UNIFIL's headquarters in Naqoura. Israeli soldiers also fired on UN position 1-31 in Labbouneh on Thursday, while on Wednesday Israeli soldiers fired on position 1-32A in Ras Naqoura.

In a statement released on Thursday UNIFIL said that "we remind the [Israeli military] and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times." 

Italy's defence minister Guido Crosetto issued a statement calling the incident "intolerable," adding that he issued protests to both Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and the Israeli ambassador to Italy.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced on Wednesday that 600,000 people have been internally displaced across Lebanon.

UNICEF recorded 350,000 children displaced by the war, and that 80 percent of the 978 collective shelters that are hosting Lebanon’s internally displaced are at capacity, the report added.

OCHA has received $51 million for its $425.7 million flash appeal to support Lebanon, but the report warned that "more is urgently needed to be able to continue to support Lebanese people in these challenging times".

The report comes as Israel's aerial bombardment and attempted ground invasion intensified, with an airstrike on Wednesday night killing five health workers in the town of Derdghaiya.

According to the Lebanese health ministry, Israel's bombardment has killed 2,141 people and wounded 10,099 more.

The Israeli military announced that overnight strikes also hit Beirut's southern suburb of Dahiyeh and areas across southern Lebanon.

This includes strikes that killed two Hezbollah commanders which the Israeli military claims were responsible for operations in the south.

The Israeli military also announced the death of a reservist soldier in fighting in southwest Lebanon who was part of the 146 Division's Alon Brigade, while a second reservist from the unit was wounded in the same incident.

Israel has confirmed the deaths of 12 soldiers since the beginning of ground operations in late September.

According to UNIFIL, Israeli soldiers fired on three position held by UN peacekeepers in the last 24 hours, with one incident on Wednesday saw the use of Israeli tank fire, with two peacekeepers being injured as a result. 

Two Israeli civilians were also killed after Hezbollah rockets struck the border town of Kiryat Shmona with more fire wounding eight in Haifa.

The US is increasingly viewing Israel's assault on Lebanon as an opportunity to end Hezbollah's role in Lebanese politics and elect a new president, according to The Wall Street Journal.

According, the report, both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and special envoy Amos Hochstein have spoken with Arab officials about the opportunity, and although the initiative has support from Saudi Arabia, both Egypt and Qatar have called the plan unrealistic.

Lebanon's speaker of parliament Nabih Berri told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper that the US government was doing nothing to stop Israel's invasion, even if it publicly supported a ceasefire.