The United Nations force in Lebanon said a blast at one of its positions wounded three peacekeepers on Friday, the third such incident in a week.

The U.S. embassy in Lebanon, where Tehran-backed Hezbollah is at war with Israel, said on Friday that Iran and allied groups could seek to target universities in the country.

Fresh strikes hit Beirut's southern suburbs on Friday as the Israeli army said it was striking Hezbollah "infrastructure", hours after the Israeli army issued an evacuation warning for the area.

When the Israel- Hezbollah war broke out in early March, Hussein Shuman fled the heavy bombardment of the southern suburbs of Beirut, but he didn't bother trying to rent an apartment elsewhere.

In areas deemed "safe" because the Lebanese militant group has no presence, he feels that Shiite Muslims like him are not welcome. Residents regard them with suspicion as potential Hezbollah members, and landlords charge exorbitant prices to rent to displaced families.

The Israeli military said Friday it had struck more than 3,500 targets across Lebanon in the month since fighting with Hezbollah began.

U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher on Thursday expressed concern that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon could be long-lasting, potentially resulting in a "fresh occupation."

Eighteen European countries on Thursday urged Israel and Hezbollah to stop fighting as their latest conflict reached one month and with fears over Israeli plans to control part of southern Lebanon post-war.

International Organization for Migration chief Amy Pope told AFP on Thursday in Beirut that the prospects for prolonged mass displacement in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah are at war, were "very alarming".

The Egyptian intelligence's initiative for a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel remains stalled "in the study and consultation phase," with no final response yet from either side, despite Speaker Nabih Berri's involvement in the negotiations, sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper.

MP Ghayath Yazbek of the Lebanese Forces said Thursday that an "Iranian-made" drone that crashed earlier in the day in the Batroun district had been headed to the nearby Hamat airbase, which is used by U.S. forces, suggesting that Hezbollah and Iran were behind it.