US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has called Israel's defence minister this evening, urging him to ensure "the safety of Unifil forces" in Lebanon, referring to the UN's peacekeeping mission.

Austin says he spoke to Yoav Gallant to discuss Israel's operations in Lebanon.

He adds that he reaffirmed the US' support of Israel's "right to defend itself", and a US commitment to a "diplomatic arrangement that safely returns both Lebanese and Israeli civilians to their homes on both sides of the border".

He also emphasised the need for a "diplomatic pathway as soon as feasible".

• Read more about the Israeli attacks on UN bases in southern Lebanon here

Raffi Berg
Digital Middle East editor

As emergency workers search through the rubble from Israel’s air strikes which killed 22 civilians, according to the Lebanese prime minister, in Beirut last night, the fate of the reported target, Wafiq Safa, is not yet known.

Safa has been a key figure in Hezbollah as far back as the 1980s, the decade the group was formed.

He is the head of its security apparatus, believed to be in charge of relations between the group and Lebanon’s security services.

He is also a brother-in-law of longtime Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated by Israel at the end of last month.

Israeli and Western intelligence officials have long suspected Hezbollah of exerting control over Beirut international airport, and in June Safa was named by the UK’s Daily Telegraph as being involved in alleged operations there, including the storing of Iranian missiles and rockets.

The group and Lebanese authorities denied the paper’s claim, as well as accusations of influence at the airport, which is officially run by the Lebanese government.

In 2019, the US added Safa’s name to a blacklist of individuals accused of terrorism, for, it said, orchestrating the smuggling of drugs and weapons and of being involved in obtaining foreign passports for Hezbollah operatives for missions abroad.

For Israel, Safa has long been in its sights but is remembered for one event in particular. When in 2008, as part of a prisoner swap, Hezbollah released two Israeli soldiers it had held for two years, it was Safa who, the New York Times reported at the time, said their fate would “now be revealed”, before gesturing towards two coffins.

Image source, EPA

We're hearing more now on the aftermath of last night's attack in central Beirut that the Lebanese health ministry says killed 22 people and injured 117 others.

As a reminder, Israel's strike hit Basta and Nweiri, part of the Mazraa district of central Beirut, last night as the apparent intended target was reported to be Wafiq Safa - a close ally of assassinated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The bombing has "left all people in a state of fear", one person tells our colleagues at BBC Arabic.

"The buildings are on the ground and people are under the rubble, there’s fire coming out of the buildings, it’s a very horrific scene, the screams of the people and the sound of the ambulances," they added.

Another spoke of the moment it happened: "We were passing by with our car when a huge blow shook our car, we heard it and saw dust everywhere and people suddenly started running and screaming and crying. There are people stuck within buildings, a very horrifying scene.”

One person spoke of the location of the attack, and said: "The area is full of many displaced people who went to these areas thinking it was safe."

Around 100 rockets were detected crossing from Lebanon into northern Israel within the space of half an hour, the Israeli military (IDF) says.

They say 80 projectiles were identified crossing from Lebanon into Israel, following sirens that sounded at 17:21 (15:21 BST) and 17:24 (15:24 BST) local time.

Sirens went off in Central Galilee, the Upper Galilee, Hamiftats, HaAmakim, and the Western Galilee, the statement on X adds.

Twenty minutes later, after alerts in the Upper Galilee area between 17:45 and 17:47 local time, about 20 more launches were detected crossing into Israel from Lebanon, the IDF says.

In both statements, the IDF says some projectiles were intercepted while other fallen projectiles were identified.

The Israeli military (IDF) has confirmed that two UN peacekeepers were injured today after Israeli soldiers identified an "immediate threat" against its forces and "responded with fire toward the threat".

The IDF says it warned the UN personnel to move to "protected spaces and remain there" hours before the incident.

"An initial examination indicates that during the incident, a hit was identified on a Unifil post, located approximately 50 meters from the source of the threat, resulting in the injury of two Unifil personnel," an IDF statement says.

The IDF says it examining how the incident happened, and it will continue contact with Unifil for coordination purposes.

Earlier, Unifil said "any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law".

The Lebanese military says two people have been killed and three others injured after Israeli forces targeted an army post in the town of Kafra in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident. We'll bring you more on this as we have it.

The Israeli military (IDF) says it is conducting a "thorough review" after being notified that two UN peacekeepers were "inadvertently hurt during IDF combat against Hezbollah" in southern Lebanon.

The UN's peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (Unifil) has said that its Naqoura headquarters were affected by explosions for the second time in 48 hours today.

Two peacekeepers were injured today after two explosions happened near an observation tower, it said, while yesterday, two Indonesian soldiers were injured falling from an observation tower after an Israeli tank fired towards it.

IDF spokesman Lt Col Nadav Shoshani says, external its military is operating in southern Lebanon as part of an "ongoing conflict with Hezbollah whose terrorists and infrastructure are in close proximity to Unifil positions posing a significant risk to the safety of peacekeepers".

He adds "the IDF takes every precaution to minimize harm to civilians and peacekeepers alike".

Shoshani did not clarify which incident he was referring to, but the IDF confirmed yesterday it had fired at the UN's Naqoura base after ordering personnel stationed there to remain in "protected places".

Damian Grammaticas
Political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

The UK prime minister says he is "very concerned that we are on the brink of escalation in the Middle East".

Earlier it was reported that Israeli forces had fired at facilities used by United Nations peacekeeping forces in south Lebanon.

The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned that as "a violation of international humanitarian law".

Asked if he agrees, Sir Keir Starmer says: "I think it's really important that the message is de-escalate. I'm very concerned about the situation in Lebanon, in Gaza and the escalation more generally in relation to the conflict. So de-escalation.

"We have to find a political and diplomatic route forward here and that is why I am working with allies and colleagues across the globe."

He adds: "I am very concerned that we are on the brink of escalation in the Middle East, we need the opposite".

The UN's peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (Unifil) says an Israeli military bulldozer has "hit the perimeter" of a UN position, external near the "Blue Line" - the UN-recognised boundary between Lebanon and Israel - in Labbouneh, south west Lebanon.

Unifil says "IDF tanks moved in the proximity of the UN position".

Its peacekeepers remained at the location and a Unifil "quick reaction force was dispatched to assist and reinforce the position", it adds.

It also confirms that Unifil's Naqoura headquarters were affected by explosions for the second time in 48 hours - two peacekeepers were injured after two explosions occurred close to an observation tower, it adds.

"One injured peacekeeper was taken to a hospital in Tyre, while the second is being treated in Naqoura."

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has yet to publicly comment on Friday's incidents.

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us, here are the latest developments from the Middle East this morning:

• The UK government says it is "appalled" by reports that Israel has deliberately fired at UN peacekeeping bases belonging to Unifil in southern Lebanon
• Unifil says its headquarters in the town of Naqoura has been affected by explosions for the second time in 48 hours
• The Lebanese prime minister says all 22 people who were killed in Israeli strikes in Beirut last night were civilians. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the strikes
• BBC reporters on the ground in Beirut say the strikes, which had no prior warning, have led to "shock" and "growing anxiety" today
• The Israeli military has clarified the cause of the blast that killed a 27 year old Thai national on the border between Israel and south Lebanon, saying it was the result of “an explosion of a fallen munition”

• Elsewhere, the Hamas-run health ministry says 61 people have been killed in Gaza within the last 24 hour reporting period

Orla Guerin
Senior international correspondent, reporting from Beirut

Image source, Goktay Koraltan

Israeli attacks on UN peacekeeping force bases in southern Lebanon, close to the border with Israel, are a breach of international humanitarian law, according to Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for the forces which are known as Unifil.

Asked if it was a war crime, he says Unifil is still looking into that but “it’s definitely a very serious development, and a very very serious violation".

He tells the BBC that there were several attacks in recent days, with two people injured yesterday.

“It looks more of a deliberate attack against our troops, who have been in the south to try to bring back stability at the moment, and it's very, very challenging,” he says.

He lists attacks on cameras, on lighting inside a base, and on an observation tower inside the headquarters, adding “how can this be a mistake from an army that is pretty well prepared, and they know what they're doing?"

Unifil says explosions today - close to an observation tower - which injured two people are still being investigated, to determine who was responsible.

The Israeli military asked UN peacekeepers last week to prepare to pull back from the border, which Unifil has refused to do.

Asked if he thinks that Israel is trying to force the peacekeepers to go, Tenenti replies “of course, people can analyse it in this way".

He says the UN has no plans to evacuate any of its 29 posts close to the "Blue Line", which is the UN recognised demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon.

Damian Grammaticas
Political correspondent

A Downing Street spokesperson says the government is "appalled" by reports that Israel has deliberately fired at an observation post belonging to the UN's peacekeeping mission in south Lebanon.

It follows a statement from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon which said an Israeli tank fired on Unifil facilities in southern Lebanon yesterday, hitting an observation tower and wounding two peacekeepers.

Speaking to journalists at the daily Downing Street briefing, the spokesperson says: "We were appalled to hear those reports and it is vital that peacekeepers and civilians are protected.

"As you know we continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and an end to suffering and bloodshed. It is a reminder of the importance of us all renewing our diplomatic efforts to resolve this."

Asked if the prime minister would agree with Ireland's Taoiseach (Irish PM) that Israel had broken international law, the spokesperson says: "All parties must always do everything possible to protect civilians and comply with international law."

Israel's military chief and the head of Israeli's security agency Shin Bet held a situational assessment in southern Lebanon yesterday, the military says.

Lt Gen Herzi Halevi says the army will continue to operate against Hezbollah and "will not stop until we ensure that we can safely return the residents (evacuated from the north), not just now, but with a future outlook".

"If anyone considers rebuilding these villages again, they will know that it's not worth constructing terrorist infrastructure because the IDF will neutralize them again," he adds.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati says the 22 people killed in last night's Israeli air strikes in central Beirut were all civilians.

Speaking from Beirut, Mikati said: "This issue is completely unacceptable. Where is the humanity and where is the reality we are living in?”

Mikati also condemned Israeli forces, who have for a second day, fired at a UN peacekeeping observation post in south Lebanon, wounding two soldiers, according to UN sources.

"It is a crime which is directed at the international community. Targeting the United Nations security force violates its sanctity," Mikati said.

The Israeli military has not commented on last night's strikes.

Image source, Reuters

In Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry says 61 people have been killed and 231 injured in the last 24-hour reporting period.

Providing its regular update, it says at least 42,126 Palestinians have now been killed and 98,117 injured as a result of Israeli military action in Gaza since the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel - when Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others to Gaza as hostages.

While Israel has described the conflict's "centre of gravity" as having moved north to Lebanon, where it is also fighting Hezbollah, its forces are still fighting Hamas in Gaza, with heaving fighting reported in the north of the strip in the last few days.

Last night we initially reported that the strike hit the Bachoura district of Beirut, based off our reporter’s account there.

We’ve since got a clearer picture of the attack and have clarified that it happened in Basta and Nweiri. These are part of the Mazraa district and are both mixed Sunni and Shia areas.

The maps below show where the targeted areas are:

Jonathan Head
Reporting from Beirut

Image source, Reuters

Security guard Hasan Jaafar was chatting to friends outside on the street in his neighbourhood, between Nweiri and Basta in central Beirut, when the first air strike happened, a little before 8pm on Thursday evening.

“It was like a roar that seemed to grow closer with every second,” he says. “Then came the explosion. The shockwave knocked us off our feet, sending us backward as dust and debris filled the air. For a moment, everything around us vanished in a cloud of ash. I tried to find my friends, who had scattered in panic, but the ash made it hard to see."

As people ran to help, a second bomb struck.

“The mood changed from urgency to panic”, he recalls. “You could see faces with tears pouring down them. The fear was overwhelming. We could hear electricity crackling from damaged buildings, adding to the nightmare atmosphere."

Image source, Reuters

"Our lively neighbourhood had turned into a battleground in an instant, with buildings all broken. It was clear to me that this area was no longer just a neighbourhood; it was a target.”

Hasan was not seriously injured and did not need treatment. For now he is staying put, but he is not sure for how long. The two powerful airstrikes in an area of Beirut which had assumed it would not be targeted have badly shaken him.

“My family and I no longer feel safe here. The idea of leaving our home is painful, but if a chance came to move to a safer place, I would take it. In a war-torn city like Beirut, safety is just a fragile hope.”

Jonah Fisher
Reporting from northern Israel

The Israeli military (IDF) has clarified the cause of the blast that killed a 27 year old Thai national on the border between Israel and south Lebanon this morning.

The IDF had initially said that an anti-tank missile fired from Lebanon was to blame but now says it was the result of “an explosion of a fallen munition”.

Falling shrapnel from intercepted Hezbollah rockets has killed people here in northern Israel but approached by the BBC for clarification, an IDF spokesperson says the explosion at Kibbutz Yiron was caused by something that was already on or in the ground.

The Israeli military has in recent days been active in southern Lebanon near Kibbutz Yiron - with the stated aim of stopping Hezbollah attacks along the border.

Hezbollah's military media office says the group launched an aerial attack on a "gathering" of Israeli soldiers in northern Israel at 08:30 local time (06:30 BST) this morning.

In an update on Telegram, the groups says it targeted an Israeli air defence command base in Kiryat Eliezer in Haifa, northern Israel.

It adds that it also targeted more Israeli soldiers with rockets in Kfar Szold, a kibbutz in northern Israel, at 10:50 local time (08:50).

Image source, Reuters

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has condemned Israeli attacks on a UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, calling them a "violation of international humanitarian law".

On Thursday, two Indonesian soldiers were injured when they fell from an observation tower at a UN base in Ras al-Naqoura after an Israeli tank fired towards it.

And in the past few hours, two more peacekeepers have reportedly been injured.

It was not clear which of the two incidents Guterres was referring to.

Yesterday's incident, in which Israel said it was targeting Hezbollah militants near UN posts, was met by condemnation from the UN and several countries.

Speaking at a summit in Laos, Guterres said an escalation of conflict in the Middle East was a "threat to global peace and security," adding everything must be done to avoid "all-out war in Lebanon".