The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session on Thursday following an attack by Israeli forces on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, intensifying fears of a broader regional conflict.
The assault resulted in injuries to two UN peacekeepers, according to a statement from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The incident has escalated tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border, drawing international concern.
\"The conflict in Lebanon, coupled with intensified strikes in Syria and the raging violence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, points to a region dangerously teetering on the brink of an all-out war,\" warned Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, during the session.
Recent developments have seen intensified exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), along with Israeli ground operations in Lebanon. DiCarlo described the situation as a \"humanitarian emergency\", emphasizing the dire need for de-escalation.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, highlighted the severe impact on southern Lebanon. \"Israel's ground operations and intense air bombardment across Lebanon have left much of southern Lebanon now uninhabited and increasingly uninhabitable. The safety and security of peacekeepers is now increasingly in jeopardy,\" he stated.
Lebanon's representative condemned Israel's actions, stating that the attempted invasion violated the UN Charter and Resolution 1701. He called on the Security Council to condemn the act and adopt a resolution to halt the aggression.
In response, Israel's delegate maintained that their operations aimed to degrade Hezbollah's capabilities and dismantle what they termed a \"terror network\" in southern Lebanon.
The situation further escalated as Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported a new attack on Friday. Lebanon's Foreign Ministry condemned the Israeli assault on UN peacekeepers in the country's south, intensifying calls for international intervention.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a stern warning to Israel on Friday, stating that there must be no repeat of the \"intolerable\" incident that wounded two UNIFIL soldiers. \"There was naturally a reaction from many sides in solidarity with the peacekeepers that were wounded and in telling Israel very clearly that this incident is intolerable and cannot be repeated,\" Guterres said after meeting with Southeast Asian leaders at a summit in Laos.
The escalating conflict in Lebanon, coupled with tensions across the Middle East, underscores the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to prevent a full-scale regional war.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
