BEIRUT: The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon on Saturday warned that the ongoing Israeli military strikes in Gaza and southern Lebanon could ignite a regional conflict with “catastrophic” consequences.
The warning comes as Israel intensified its bombardment of Gaza and Lebanon, with Lebanese authorities reporting that Israeli airstrikes killed nine people in two villages near Beirut. Israeli forces also clashed with Hezbollah.
Five UN peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon were wounded in Israeli strikes. UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, has raised concerns about the increasing damage to its posts as a result of the conflict.
Israel has faced a fierce diplomatic backlash over incidents in south Lebanon that saw five Blue Helmets wounded.
Speaking to AFP, UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti warned that Israel’s military actions in southern Lebanon could spiral into a full-scale regional war. “An escalation could result in a catastrophic conflict for everyone involved,” Tenenti said.
Since September 23, Israeli forces have launched intense strikes and ground offensive in Lebanon. Over 1,200 people have been killed in Lebanon, and more than a million have been displaced from their homes due to the ongoing Israeli violence.
Israel had earlier told residents of south Lebanon not to return home. “For your own protection, do not return to your homes until further notice… Do not go south; anyone who goes south may put his life at risk,” Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on X.
On Saturday, Hezbollah retaliated with missile strikes into northern Israel, setting off air raid sirens. The Israeli military intercepted some of the projectiles, while no casualties were immediately reported.
Israel has faced diplomatic backlash following a strike that hit a UN peacekeeping position in Lebanon on Friday, wounding two Sri Lankan peacekeepers. This was the second such incident in two days.
The UN, along with key international players such as France and Ireland, condemned the strikes, with French President Emmanuel Macron stating that the peacekeepers appeared to have been “deliberately targeted.”
Ireland’s military chief, Sean Clancy, also criticized the incident, calling it a “premeditated act.” Both Ireland and France are major contributors to the UNIFIL mission, which has been on the front lines of the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has called on the UN Security Council to issue a resolution demanding an “immediate and full ceasefire.” However, efforts to end the fighting have so far failed.
On Saturday, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, visited the site of an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon, marking Tehran’s defiance and solidarity with Hezbollah.
Israel vowed to retaliate to Iranian missile attacks earlier this month, with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant promising a “deadly, precise, and surprising” response.
In Gaza, where Israeli military operations have caused devastation, the situation continues to deteriorate. The Palestinian health ministry reported that more than 42,175 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed since Israel launched its campaign on October 7, 2023.
The UN and humanitarian groups have raised alarms over the worsening conditions in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are trapped amid relentless shelling.
The Israeli army has laid siege to the Jabalia area in northern Gaza, one of the hardest-hit regions. On Saturday, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued new evacuation orders, urging residents to flee the “dangerous combat zone” and move to a humanitarian zone in southern Gaza.
However, Palestinian authorities, including Gaza’s interior ministry, have warned civilians that there are no safe areas in the enclave, with Israeli strikes continuing even in so-called “safe” zones.
On Friday, Israeli strikes in the Jabalia area killed 30 people, including those seeking shelter in schools. Meanwhile, intense shelling and explosions were reported on Saturday in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, adding to the suffering of the civilians caught in the conflict.
