A Lebanese Middle East Airlines (MEA) plane flies over Beirut preparing to land at Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport, as seen from Sin el Fil, Lebanon, on August 25, 2024. | Photo credit: Reuters
The United Nations and Lebanon’s Prime Minister on Sunday (August 25, 2024) urged de-escalation of tensions. Israel attacks Lebanon and Hezbollah He said it had launched attacks on Israeli targets, leading to a sharp escalation in cross-border hostilities.
The Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a joint statement that they “call on all to ceasefire and refrain from further actions”, and described the latest developments as “worrying”.
“A return to a cessation of hostilities followed by the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is the only sustainable way forward,” the statement said.
The resolution ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and called for the Lebanese Army and United Nations peacekeepers to be the only armed forces deployed in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati told ministers at an emergency meeting on Sunday that he was “in constant contact with Lebanon’s friends to prevent the escalation of tensions.”
“First and foremost, the Israeli aggression must be stopped, and Resolution 1701 must be implemented,” a statement from his office said.
According to the statement, Mr. Mikati also stressed Lebanon’s “support for international efforts” that could lead to a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah has been trading regular gunfire with Israel in support of its ally Hamas since the Gaza war broke out after the Palestinian militant group launched an attack on Israel on October 7.
There are growing calls for the full implementation of UN Resolution 1701 to end the current violence.