UN mission concerned over peacekeepers' safety in Lebanon-Israel border conflict

Beirut, Nov 3 (IANS) The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has expressed concerns about its sites being bombed amid the ongoing the exchange of fire on country's border with Israel amid the raging war in Gaza.

"Two shells fell and exploded yesterday afternoon, 10 meters from a UNIFIL site near the town of Beit Lif in southern Lebanon, causing serious damage to a wall and slight damage to a UNIFIL vehicle," the mission's spokesman Andrea Tenenti said late Thursday.

"Fortunately, the officers were in shelters at the time, no one was hurt, and we opened an investigation," Xinhua news agency quoted the spokesman as saying.

He once again expressed UNIFIL's "grave concern" that their positions were bombed during the exchange of fire, endangering peacekeepers and any civilian who may seek refuge there.

On October 28, two shells fell at a UNIFIL base near the town of Houla, injuring a peacekeeper.

Escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border began when the Iran-based Hezbollah fired multiple rockets on October 8 toward Israeli military sites in support of the Hamas's surprise attack on the Jewish nation on October 7.

In response, the Israeli forces fired heavy artillery on southeastern Lebanon on the same day.

The intermittent skirmishes have resulted in 66 deaths in Lebanon, including 50 members of Hezbollah, as well as nine Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants.

The casualties also included seven civilians.