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 have 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.

Human Rights Watch has called for an urgent UN investigation into Israel’s escalation against UN peacekeepers.