Lebanon: UN peacekeepers count hundreds of Israeli strikes and incursions in a single weekend

Israeli forces fired 455 projectiles into south Lebanon and breached Lebanese airspace 97 times between Friday and Sunday, the UN's peacekeeping mission in the country reported Monday – among the heaviest fire seen in months.UNIFIL said Saturday alone accounted for 229 of those projectiles, the highest single-day total since 21 June, alongside an air strike in Al Mansuri on Sunday morning. Most of the airspace violations came from drones, though helicopters and fighter jets were also involved, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said. Peacekeepers also tracked two Israeli boats moving north through Lebanese waters before turning back south on Friday.Around the same time, two Israeli Merkava tanks fired three rounds eastward that landed roughly 200 metres from a UN position, while some 30 rounds of small-arms fire were also directed toward the same area.The activity marks a sharp escalation from the previous weekend, when 113 projectiles – then the highest daily count since 21 June – had been recorded. Unguarded weaponsPeacekeepers have also discovered unguarded weapons, unexploded ordnances (UXOs) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in their area of operations, Mr. Haq said.A com...