October 10, 2024 — Two United Nations peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon were injured Thursday after Israeli tank fire hit their position, the UN confirmed. The incident took place as tensions escalate in the Middle East, with the ongoing conflict between Israel and militant groups in Gaza increasingly spilling into neighboring regions.

Italy, whose peacekeepers were among those injured, swiftly condemned the strike, summoning the Israeli ambassador to demand explanations. Italian officials called the attack “unacceptable,” adding that Israeli forces had also hit Italian military bases stationed in Lebanon.

This incident forms part of a broader regional escalation. Israeli airstrikes targeted central Beirut later on Thursday, causing a residential building to collapse. Lebanese officials fear heavy casualties as rescue operations are ongoing. The attack comes amid growing international concern that the conflict, which began in Gaza, is expanding into Lebanon, raising the specter of a wider regional war.

In Gaza, the Israeli military conducted an airstrike on a school building it said was being used by “terrorists.” The attack killed at least 28 people, according to the Red Crescent. This is the latest development in the Israeli-Hamas conflict, now entering its second week with no signs of a ceasefire on the horizon.

Further complicating the situation, Israel’s security cabinet is preparing to vote on its response to an Iranian ballistic missile strike that hit the country earlier in the week. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has vowed a “powerful, precise, and surprising” retaliation, though specific details have not yet been released. A phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took place Thursday, but the White House has yet to comment on Israel’s next move.

The violence continues to draw international calls for restraint, but fears are mounting that the conflict could trigger a larger, more devastating regional war as military actions intensify across multiple fronts.