Region 'on brink of catastrophe' amid Israeli attacks on Lebanon, warns UN

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Friday expressed high concern over the "heightened escalation across the Blue Line" following Israeli attacks on Lebanon, warning that the region is "on the brink of a catastrophe."

"We are very concerned at the heightened escalation across the Blue Line, including the deadly strike we saw in Beirut today," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters during a news conference.

Calling on all parties to "de-escalate immediately" and "exercise maximum restraint," Dujarric said: "The region is on the brink of a catastrophe."

"All efforts should focus on urgently finding a diplomatic activity," he added.

He affirmed that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to "implement their mandate in obviously extremely challenging conditions."

Saying that head of UNIFIL Aroldo Lazaro is in "constant communications" with both Israeli and Lebanese military, Dujarric said the peacekeeping mission is working to "avoid any miscalculation along the Blue Line."

The Blue Line is a demarcation line dividing Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights.

Lebanese authorities on Friday said at least 12 people were killed, and 66 others injured when Israel struck a building in Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, 37 people were killed and more than 3,250 others, including women and children, injured in a series of explosions across Lebanon involving wireless communication devices, including pagers and two-way radios. Beirut and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the attacks.

Multiple media outlets reported that Israel placed small explosive charges inside imported pager devices before they reached Lebanon and then this week detonated them remotely.