Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin pressed his Israeli counterpart to take steps to prevent IDF soldiers from firing at UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, the Pentagon said on Friday, while three European leaders issued a joint statement condemning Israel's attacks.

Israeli airstrikes hit the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force and other positions in south Lebanon in recent days, drawing widespread condemnation from around the world. The force, known as UNIFIL,

Israel said its forces fired at a threat near a UN peacekeeping position on Friday in Lebanon, acknowledging that a "hit" was responsible for wounding two Blue Helmets, an incident that has sparked diplomatic backlash.