UN urges de-escalation of hostilities on Israeli-Lebanese border

The UN Secretary-General, in a statement issued by his official spokesperson, warned of the significant increase in cross-border exchanges of fire, causing deaths, displacement, and material and environmental damage.

“These actions endanger the Lebanese and Israeli people, as well as threatening regional security and stability,” the top UN official said.

Guterres called for immediate de-escalation so that the parties could urgently return to the cessation of hostilities and implement Security Council Resolution 1701.

Since October 7, the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel has also become a scene of confrontation, displacement and deaths on both sides as a result of the tensions of the conflict in Gaza.

The organization established the border guarded by UN Blue Helmets on June 7, 2000 to determine whether Israel had withdrawn from the neighboring country.

Since then, the unofficial border has divided Lebanon and Israel, while UN Security Council Resolution 1701 calls for the maintenance of the ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli and Lebanese forces from both sides.

Last week, the UN envoy to Lebanon, Imran Riza, called for greater efforts to restore calm, warning that tensions on both sides of the border were “at an all-time high.”

The diplomat called for more efforts to end hostilities between the two countries, and to find a political and diplomatic solution that ensures the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers.

Nearly 200,000 people have been displaced by the exchange of fire since October 7, including more than 110,000 Lebanese.

There are still another 150,000 people within 10 kilometres of the UN-guarded border in areas of southern Lebanon that are affected daily by bombings and air strikes.

Reda confirmed that the escalation of hostilities in the region also led to the killing of at least 130 civilians in Lebanon, including 10 Syrian citizens two weeks ago, 21 paramedics and three journalists.

According to estimates by the United Nations office in Lebanon, 3.7 million people now need humanitarian assistance after more than 10 months of conflict in Gaza and its regional impact.

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