Two more United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in southern Lebanon, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has said, in the latest deadly incident involving UN forces since Israel expanded its ground invasion of the country.

In a statement shared on social media, UNIFIL said two peacekeepers were killed on Monday “when an explosion of unknown origin destroyed their vehicle” near the southern Lebanese village of Bani Hayyan.

The UN force said a third peacekeeper was severely injured while a fourth was also wounded in the incident. “We reiterate that no one should ever have to die serving the cause of peace,” UNIFIL said.

The announcement came hours after UNIFIL said one of its peacekeepers was killed in a separate incident “when a projectile exploded in a UNIFIL position” on Sunday near the southern Lebanese village of Aadshit al-Qusayr.

The force said that the exact “origin of the projectile” was not immediately clear, but that an investigation had been launched into the incident.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that the slain peacekeeper was one of its citizens. It said three other Indonesian peacekeepers with UNIFIL were also wounded in the attack, which it described as “indirect artillery fire”.

“Indonesia strongly condemns the incident and calls for a thorough and transparent investigation,” the ministry said in a statement. “Indonesia reiterates its condemnation of Israel’s attacks in southern Lebanon and calls on all parties to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, cease attacks against civilian populations and infrastructure, and return to dialogue and diplomacy to prevent further escalation and advance peace.”

Israeli invasion deepens

The deadly incidents come as Israel has expanded its ground invasion of Lebanon, pushing deeper into the south of the country as part of a campaign that it says aims to secure northern Israel against Hezbollah air attacks.

Israel launched intensified strikes against its northern neighbour in early March after Hezbollah fired into northern Israel in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28.

More than 1,200 people have been killed in Israel’s continuing attacks across Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, while more than 1.2 million people have been forced out of their homes across the country.

The Israeli ground invasion has spurred intensified confrontations and deadly violence in Lebanon’s south, Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto reported from the southern city of Tyre on Monday afternoon.

In another recent incident, a Lebanese soldier was killed in an Israeli attack on a military checkpoint in the south on Monday, Lebanon’s army said in a statement.

“The checkpoint was clearly marked as a Lebanese army position,” said Hitto, noting that the past 48 hours have been marked by several incidents involving UNIFIL and the Lebanese military.

“As the Israelis announced they’re expanding their operations here in southern Lebanon, I expect these kinds of incidents to increase,” he said.

Global condemnation

World leaders have condemned the escalating violence, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling on all parties to the conflict to abide by international law and ensure the security of all UN personnel.

“This is just one of a number of recent incidents that have jeopardized the safety & security of peacekeepers,” Guterres wrote on X after the Indonesian peacekeeper was killed.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a vocal critic of Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon, said “a new red line was crossed” after the first fatal attack involving UNFIL this week.

“Attacks on UN peacekeeping missions are an unjustifiable aggression against the entire international community,” Sanchez wrote in a social media post, calling on the Israeli government to end its military operations.

The Republic of Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheal Martin also warned against a “shocking escalation of violence that has injured a number of peacekeepers in recent days”.

“The role of the peacekeeper must be respected and honoured at all times,” Martin wrote on X.