United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over a significant escalation of hostilities along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel, urging both sides to cease fire and adhere to international resolutions.
These actions put both the Lebanese and Israeli populations at risk, as well as threatening regional security and stability, Guterres said in a statement delivered by his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday
The spokesman highlighted, the Secretary-General called for an urgent and immediate return to a cessation of hostilities, emphasizing the importance of fully implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), which outlines the terms for the cessation of hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.
The escalation, which intensified over the weekend, has prompted concerns from UN peacekeepers in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), who continue to monitor the exchanges of fire across the Blue Line. While the increased violence has not yet led to a significant humanitarian impact, the ongoing conflict continues to severely affect civilians on both sides, according to Dujarric.
Dujarric highlighted the challenges faced by humanitarian efforts in Lebanon, which are being constrained by a lack of funding.
"The ongoing conflict continues to severely impact civilians on both sides of the Blue Line. Along with our partners, we continue to scale up relief efforts in support of the Lebanese Government-led response. However, humanitarian response efforts are being undermined by funding constraints, and we urgently need additional resources. We call on all parties to follow and to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, emphasizing the need to protect civilians, including children, and civilian infrastructure at all times," said Dujarric.
UN chief "deeply concerned" over exchanges of fire across Lebanon-Israel frontier
