The Lebanon-based officers increase alarm of potential conflict escalation as Hezbollah-Israel combating intensifies.
Two United Nations officers based mostly in Lebanon have warned that there’s a “very actual” menace of miscalculation that would result in a wider conflict as cross-border combating between Hezbollah and Israel rages.
The warning on Saturday got here from the UN particular coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the pinnacle of UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, Aroldo Lazaro.
In a press release, they stated they had been “deeply involved” concerning the latest clashes alongside Lebanon’s southern border.
“The hazard of miscalculation resulting in a sudden and wider battle could be very actual,” the 2 officers stated.
They urged “all actors to stop their hearth and decide to working towards a political and diplomatic answer”.
Joint Assertion of @JeanineHennis and @aroldo_lazaro:
As communities in Lebanon and all over the world have a good time Eid Al-Adha, the UN household reiterates its name for all actors alongside the Blue Line to place down their weapons and decide to a path of peace.
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) June 15, 2024
Earlier this week, Hezbollah launched the largest volley but of rockets and drones in direction of Israel because the conflict on Gaza started on October 7. That got here as Israel upped its assaults on Hezbollah commanders and infrastructure in southern Lebanon.
Surge in combating
For eight months, Hezbollah has promised to proceed assaults on northern Israel to attract Israeli forces away from the conflict in Gaza. Whereas ebbing and flowing at varied occasions, the cross-border assaults have remained persistent.
However the latest surge in combating has led to concern that the violence may boil over. Final week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to revive safety alongside the border “by some means”.
Far-right ministers in his cupboard have gone additional, with Nationwide Safety Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calling for outright conflict and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calling for a floor invasion.
On Tuesday, a strike within the southern Lebanon village of Jouaiya killed subject commander Taleb Abdallah, thought of essentially the most senior Hezbollah member to die throughout eight months of hostilities.
The subsequent day, high Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine stated the group would “improve the depth, power, amount and high quality of our assaults”.
The surge continued via Saturday, with Hezbollah saying it focused the Meron base in northern Israel with “guided missiles” and despatched “assault drones” in direction of one other Israeli base.
Israel’s navy, in the meantime, stated its “plane struck a Hezbollah terrorist” in south Lebanon’s Aitaroun space. Individually, it additionally stated that artillery was fired “to take away a menace”.
The combating comes as the USA and France have been working in direction of a negotiated settlement. On Friday, Israel’s Minister of Protection Yoav Gallant stated Israel wouldn’t be a part of a trilateral framework proposed by France.
