Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has defended his government’s response to the latest cross-border escalation with Israel, which was the most serious flare-up since the 2006 war.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Saturday condemned the use of Lebanese territory to fire rockets at Israel, in the wake of the most serious cross-border escalation since the 2006 war.

The European Union on Saturday condemned deadly attacks in Israel and a barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon that triggered Israeli strikes and called for "restraint."

"The EU expresses its total condemnation of these acts of violence. This must cease," the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement after Friday's attacks in Israel.

The United States has said it supports ally Israel's "right to self-defense" after deadly attacks as well as rocket fire from Lebanon that triggered Israeli strikes.

"The targeting of innocent civilians of any nationality is unconscionable. The United States stands with the government and people of Israel," State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement.

Israel's military said soldiers had shot down a drone that entered its airspace from Lebanon a day after a barrage of rockets was fired into Israel.

Friday's incident came hours after Israel bombarded Lebanon following the rocket fire that the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian militants.

Russia has called on Israel, the Palestinians and Lebanon to end the "escalation" of violence, saying it was "deeply" concerned.

"We call on the parties involved in the conflict to refrain from confrontational steps, to act in the interests of preventing further escalation, ending violence and restoring a sustainable ceasefire," the foreign ministry said.

France on Friday vowed "unwavering" support for both "Israel's security and Lebanon's stability and sovereignty," hours after a major border flare-up.

Israel unleashed rare airstrikes on Lebanon and bombarded the Gaza Strip late Thursday and early Friday, an escalation that sparked fears of a broader conflict following days of violence over Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site.

The Israeli shelling at dawn of areas near the Palestinian refugee camp of al-Rashidiyeh in south Lebanon led to the death of six sheep and several birds and damages to a livestock barn, the National News Agency said.

Following consultations with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib asked Lebanon’s permanent mission to the U.N. to file a complaint with the U.N. Security Council over the dawn Israeli bombardment of areas near the southern city of Tyre.

The Lebanese Army said Friday it had dismantled a launcher loaded with rockets ready to be fired at Israel, hours after Israel shelled Lebanese territory in response to the biggest rocket salvo since 2006.

The dawn bombardment, also targeting the Gaza Strip, was in retaliation for several dozen rockets fired on Thursday at Israel from both Lebanon and the Palestinian territory.