The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) warned on Tuesday of a “concerning shift” in the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel in southern Lebanon as Israel escalated its operations against its northern neighbor.
Israel expanded the scope of its attacked against Lebanon on Monday and Tuesday, targeting the region of al-Hanieh in the Tyre province and al-Baysarieh in the Zahrani province for the first time since the conflicted erupted it between it and Hezbollah in October.
“This conflict has already claimed too many lives and caused significant damage to houses and public infrastructure. It has jeopardized the livelihoods and changed the life of tens of thousands of civilians on both sides of the Blue Line. Yet we now see an expansion and intensification of strikes,” UNIFIL head of mission and force commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro said in a statement.
“In recent days, we have continued our active engagement with the parties to decrease tensions and prevent dangerous misunderstandings, but recent events have the potential to put at risk a political solution to this conflict,” he added.
“We urge all parties involved to halt hostilities to prevent further escalation and leave space to a political and diplomatic solution that can bring back stability and ensure the safety of the people in this region,” he urged.
UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka also urged “de-escalation”, saying the “gradual expansion in the exchange of fire” increased the risks of a broader conflagration.
She briefed caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati of her recent tour of the region and the mechanism that would allow the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701. She urged all parties to restore calm and work on diplomatic solutions.
Violent escalation
The UNIFIL warning came amid the most violent escalation since the beginning of the war. Israel carried out on Monday raids near the eastern city of Baalbek, around 100 kms from the south, in retaliation to Hezbollah’s downing of a drone.
Hezbollah fired back by launching 60 katyusha rockets towards the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Three Hezbollah members and two members of the Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian “Islamic Jihad”, were killed in Israel’s attack on Monday.
The escalation continued on Tuesday, with Israel saying it detected a total of 20 launches from Lebanon. The military said some were intercepted by air defense systems while others landed in open areas.
Hezbollah claimed two strikes on the Meron air control installation Tuesday, the first of which it said was in retaliation for the Baalbek attack.
The party claimed the second strike “led to the damage and complete destruction” of some of the facility’s “technical and espionage equipment.”
Israel said it detected 35 rockets fired from southern Lebanon towards Meron. It said no one was harmed and no damage was incurred by the attack.
Israel fired back by attacking Hezbollah targets in the al-Baysarieh region for the first time during the conflict and the first time since the 2006 July war. The region lies 35 kms from the nearest Israeli border point.
