Western leaders urged Israel Friday to stop harming UN peacekeepers in Lebanon after explosions wounded two of them near the country鈥檚 border.
The Israeli military said its forces on Friday fired at a threat near a UN peacekeeping mission position.
A spokeswoman for the UNIFIL mission said two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the second such incident in two days.
US president Joe Biden told reporters he was 鈥榓bsolutely, positively鈥� asking Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.
France鈥檚 President Emmanuel Macron said it was 鈥榓bsolutely unacceptable鈥� that peacekeepers were 鈥榙eliberately targeted鈥�. The foreign ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador, saying the incident constituted 鈥榮erious violations of international law and must cease immediately鈥�.
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the firing, which she said violated a UN resolution, as 鈥榰nacceptable鈥�. Italy has more than 1,000 troops in Lebanon.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez demanded an 鈥榚nd to all violence鈥� against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. He called Friday鈥檚 incident 鈥榓bsolutely unacceptable鈥�.
Irish prime minister Simon Harris on Saturday urged Israel to heed 鈥榯he concerns of the international community鈥� and not repeat recent firing on UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
鈥業srael must stop firing on UN peacekeepers serving with UNIFIL in Lebanon,鈥� Ireland鈥檚 leader said in a statement, his latest comments on the recent incidents that have sparked a fierce diplomatic backlash.
鈥業srael must listen to the voice and the concerns of the international community,鈥� he added.
Ireland accounts for 347 of the 10,000 soldiers serving in the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, which is charged with maintaining peace in the south of Lebanon.
Israel said its forces fired at a threat near a UNIFIL position in Lebanon Friday, acknowledging that a 鈥榟it鈥� was responsible for wounding two Blue Helmets.
The two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt at UNIFIL鈥檚 main base in Naqura, southern Lebanon, according to the mission.
It follows two Indonesian soldiers suffering injuries when tank fire hit a watchtower the previous day, the mission said.
The Irish Defence Forces has said none of its staff were hurt in Thursday鈥檚 incident.
Harris, who visited US President Joe Biden earlier in the week, said in the statement he and Biden 鈥榓greed that those who serve in Blue Helmets on behalf of the UN must always be afforded full protection鈥�.