Israeli airstrikes on central Beirut on Thursday left two neighborhoods smoldering, killing at least 22 people and wounded some 117 others, Lebanon’s health ministry said, as well as further escalating Israel’s bloody conflict with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Hezbollah's priority right now is defeating Israel militarily but it is open to any efforts to stop "the aggression", the head of Lebanese group's media office, Mohammad Afif, said on Friday. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has intensified in recent weeks,

Two peacekeepers were injured when explosions rocked the headquarters of the United Nations mission on the Lebanon-Israel border.

Israel has acknowledged that shots fired by its military injured two UN troops in southern Lebanon. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it struck the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) base on Friday when troops identified an "immediate threat against them" nearby and opened fire.

Israeli airstrikes have hit the headquarters of the U.N. peacekeeping force and other positions in southern Lebanon in recent days, drawing widespread condemnation from around the world

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.