BEIRUT/CAIRO: Israel ordered more evacuations and targeted a new location in northern Lebanon on Saturday, as a third UN peacekeeper was wounded in the escalating conflict.

At least five people were killed and 15 wounded in Israeli strikes across three different areas in Lebanon, a security source and a civil defence source told Reuters. One of the targeted locations was in the town of Deir Billa in northern Lebanon, which had not been struck before.

Also on Saturday, Israel’s military ordered residents of 23 southern Lebanese villages to evacuate to areas north of the Awali River, which flows from the western Bekaa Valley into the Mediterranean.

The order, communicated via a military statement, mentioned villages in southern Lebanon that have been recent targets of Israeli attacks, many of which are already almost empty.

The Israeli military said evacuations were necessary for the safety of residents due to increased Hezbollah activities, claiming the group is using sites to conceal weapons and launch attacks on Israel.

Hezbollah denies concealing weapons among civilians.

Another member of UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, was struck by gunfire on Friday, it said in a statement on Saturday, adding that the man was now stable after undergoing surgery to remove the bullet.

The statement also said UNIFIL’s position in the southern Lebanese town of Ramyah sustained significant damage due to explosions following nearby shelling, but did not specify who was responsible for either attack. Two UN peacekeepers were wounded by an Israeli strike near their watchtower in south Lebanon on Friday, drawing condemnations from the global body and various nations.