Beirut (Al-Ittihad)
Yesterday, two UN officials in Lebanon stressed “the necessity of stopping the ongoing hostilities on the Lebanese-Israeli border for 6 months, and avoiding further escalation as long as there is still room for diplomatic efforts.”
A joint statement by the United Nations Special Coordinator in Lebanon, Ioanna Vronetska, and the Head of the United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL), General Aroldo Lazaro, said: “Six months have passed since the start of the exchange of fire across the Blue Line, and it continues unabated. Heavy losses affected both sides.” The statement added, “The gradual expansion in the scope and size of confrontations beyond the Blue Line significantly increases the risks of miscalculation.”
Peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are patrolling the “Blue Line” drawn by the United Nations in 2000 when Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon.
The two UN officials stressed the importance of refocusing on the comprehensive goal of a permanent ceasefire and finding a long-term solution to the conflict.
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