New York, May 29 (SANA) The United Nations expressed concern on Thursday over escalating violence in Lebanon and called on all parties to uphold the ceasefire agreement following intensified Israeli airstrikes on several areas in Lebanon.
U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the organization was alarmed by extensive Israeli airstrikes targeting multiple areas in Lebanon, including locations within the operational area of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), regions north of the Litani River and the Bekaa Valley.
Dujarric also cited reports of attempted ground incursions and urged all sides to refrain from further attacks and comply with the ceasefire agreement.
“The protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure must remain a priority,” Dujarric said during the U.N.’s daily press briefing, expressing concern over civilian casualties linked to the latest escalation.
The U.N. said Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Commander Lt. Gen. Diodato Abagnara were continuing contacts with relevant parties in an effort to ease tensions and ensure compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
The appeal came as Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that an Israeli airstrike on the town of Choueifat in Mount Lebanon killed a woman and two children, including a Syrian national.
In a report issued on Wednesday, UNIFIL said it had recorded approximately 670 projectile trajectories, describing the figure as the highest level of military activity since the ceasefire agreement entered into force on April 17.
The latest escalation has raised concerns about the stability of the truce and the risk of a broader conflict along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
IZ/A