UN calls for halt to Lebanon fighting as war intensifies
Diplomats warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis and regional instability as clashes between Israel and Hezbollah draw global concern.
Senior officials at the United Nations and dozens of member states have called for an immediate end to fighting in Lebanon, where escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have pushed the country towards a wider regional conflict.
Addressing the United Nations Security Council in New York on Wednesday, Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN’s undersecretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, warned that the violence must stop before the crisis spirals further.
“An immediate de-escalation and cessation of violence is imperative,” she told the council.
Global calls for restraint
Around 30 countries, including several that contribute troops to the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, issued a joint statement expressing “deep alarm” at the rapid escalation.
Speaking before the council meeting, France’s UN ambassador Jerome Bonnafont said Lebanon must be supported during the crisis.
“Faced with war, Lebanon must be supported. Its sovereignty and territorial integrity must be preserved,” he said.
Bonnafont added that the countries backing the statement — including France, United Kingdom, Germany, India and South Korea — strongly condemned Hezbollah’s attacks.
Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon defended Israeli military attacks, saying they would continue as long as threats persist.
“Israel will do whatever is necessary to stop rockets fired at our people,” he said.
‘US, Israel fueling broader conflict’
The debate exposed deep divisions among global powers.
Russia accused the United States and Israel of fueling the broader conflict through their strikes on Iran.
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Anna Evstigneeva said the actions of Washington and Israel were pushing the region “ever deeper into chaos.”
Lebanon’s envoy Ahmad Arafa said his country had been dragged into a conflict it did not choose.
“Lebanon finds itself trapped in a war between Israel and Hezbollah,” he said, warning that the country is facing “an extremely dangerous moment and a true humanitarian catastrophe.”
Mounting humanitarian crisis
Lebanese officials say more than 630 people have been killed in 10 days of fighting, while over 800,000 residents have been displaced.
Tom Fletcher, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told the council that Lebanon and the wider region are facing “a moment of grave peril.”
He warned that the conflict is rapidly worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis.