During the UN General Assembly in New York, world leaders expressed concern and alarm by the prospect of a conflict after Lebanon had its deadliest day in two decades due to Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah positions on Tuesday. After around a year of cross-border hostilities since the war in Gaza started with Hamas’s assault, Israeli airstrikes by IDF claimed the lives of 564 people in Lebanon, including 50 children, as per the Lebanese health ministry.
Notably, this death toll has been the highest since the 2006 war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah and has created fears of a regional war in the Middle East. Lebanon is on the edge, warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres during his address at the General Assembly in New York.
Guterres said, ‘Gaza is a nightmare that threatens to pull the complete region into conflict and called for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territories’. He further added, ‘Lebanon is a case in point’. ‘Guterres is alarmed by the increasing situation and the large number of civilian casualties, including children and women’, as per spokesperson of UN Chief, Stéphane Dujarric.
‘Tens of thousands of people were displaced yesterday and overnight, and that number continues to rise’, said UN refugee agency spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh in Geneva. The United States who is Israel’s closest ally, cautioned against any Israeli ground invasion targeting Hezbollah.
‘A ground invasion of Lebanon will not, in our view, help de-escalate tensions’, a senior US official stated on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity. ‘We are nearing a full-blown war’, said Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, on Monday.
China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, emphasized Beijing’s concern over developments in the region, specifically the recent destruction of communication infrastructure in Lebanon, and firmly condemned attacks on civilians.
“ALSO READ: Israel Air Strikes On Hezbollah Bases In Lebanon Kills Over 585, More Than 1600 Injured”
Comments