UN does not 'want to see any sort of ground invasions' in Lebanon

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Monday expressed concern over the worsening situation in Lebanon amid escalating Israeli attacks, adding that it opposes Israel's reported intention to launch a ground incursion into Lebanon.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “remains deeply concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the events that are unfolding in Lebanon," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a news conference.

Emphasizing Guterres' call to all parties to exercise restraint and de-escalate tensions, Dujarric also stressed the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, the resolution calls for a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line (the de facto Lebanon-Israel border) and the Litani River, allowing only the Lebanese army and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to possess weapons and military equipment in the area.

Dujarric said Guterres and his team are in contact with those on the ground and continue to seek diplomatic solutions.

He said UN personnel along the Blue Line are continuing their duties, but the conflict has restricted their operations.

Saying that civilians are the most affected by the rising tensions, Dujarric announced that "a new flash appeal will be launched tomorrow, Tuesday, which will serve to mobilize additional resources for Lebanon to meet the growing needs of about 1 million people impacted by the growing crisis," including a mass exodus from southern Lebanon, along the border with Israel.

Asked if the UN would call on Israel to refrain from a ground incursion, Dujarric said: "The secretary-general has called (for this) and will continue to do so. We do not want to see any sort of ground invasions."

Since Sept. 23, Israel has launched massive airstrikes against what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing more than 900 people and injuring over 2,700 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Several Hezbollah commanders have been killed in the Israeli assault, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said early Thursday that Tel Aviv will only accept a cease-fire in Lebanon when Hezbollah is pushed away from the border to north of the Litani River and disarmed.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.