The UN Security Council is now warning that the situation in Lebanon could quickly escalate into a full-scale war. Recent explosions of pagers and radio equipment mark a new chapter in the growing conflict.
Senior UN officials call for an immediate ceasefire and stress the need for diplomacy to avoid a regional catastrophe.
In a press release, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary A. DiCarlo, issued a stark warning that violence in Lebanon has reached a critical point.
As an example of the escalation, DiCarlo cited Hezbollah’s supreme leader, Hassan Nasrallah, declaring on September 19 that “Israel exceeded all limits, laws and red lines” and vowing to “to exact a heavy price and a fair punishment”.
Iran, whose ambassador to Lebanon was among the injured, announced that it reserves the right, in accordance with international law, to take whatever measures it deems necessary to respond to “such a heinous crime and violation”.
The alert should be seen in the context of recent high-profile events in Lebanon, and in particular in the capital Beirut, where thousands of pagers were simultaneously detonated on September 17.
A second wave of explosions hit the country the following day, targeting two-way radios. Lebanon’s Ministry of Health has reported that 37 people have been killed and over 3,400 injured so far. The Lebanese government accuses Israel of what it says are acts of terror against the civilian population.
“The essence of our common humanity is at stake.”
– Sigrid Kaag, Senior Humanitarian & Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza says the lack of effective protection of civilians is unconscionable, calling for an immediate ceasefire & release of hostages.https://t.co/y0rTf0rPLR pic.twitter.com/8u0JDOl5H0
— United Nations (@UN) September 17, 2024
“Violates international law”
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted the serious implications of targeted attacks on communications equipment that risk not only military casualties but also civilians.
– These attacks represent a new development in warfare, where communication tools become weapons, he commented, pointing out that targeting individuals without knowing who possesses the targeted equipment violates international law.
Meanwhile, Abdallah Bou Habib, Lebanon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, warned that no one is safe anymore after the “unfathomable” electronic attacks that injured thousands of civilians, including women and children. He emphasized that if the UN Security Council does not condemn these attacks and their perpetrators, “the Council’s credibility will be at stake”.
On the diplomatic scene, Israel has pointed to Hezbollah’s role in the conflict, claiming that the group is behind hundreds of rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.
Iran accuses Israel
“Israel intended to kill at least 5000 civilians, but some devices were deactivated or not distributed”, Iran’s delegate said in a blistering attack on Israel, adding that this “clear act of terrorism” has caused “widespread panic across Lebanon”.
“Now again this regime has crossed a red line”, he said, noting that Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon was among those injured in the attack.
Israel’s representative at the UN stresses that “Israel will use any means within our rights to defend our citizens” and that it will not allow Hezbollah to use Lebanese territory as a launchpad for violence.
United Nations Secretary-General @antonioguterres said Sunday that it was “clear” neither Israel nor Hamas were interested in a ceasefire, describing the ongoing regional escalations “a tragedy” pic.twitter.com/kzOnUBCUvr
— The New Region (@thenewregion) September 22, 2024
United States backs Israel
The US representative recalled that for the past 11 months, Hezbollah has been bombing communities in northern Israel on an almost daily basis.
“No member of this Council facing a terrorist organization on its border would tolerate daily rocket attacks on its territory”, said the US representative.
While several member states expressed concern about an escalation of the conflict, France’s representative warned that the risk of open warfare with potentially tragic consequences is increasing by the day.
The UN Security Council called on the parties to act swiftly to prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the region.
