With the escalation of conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border, the United Nations peacekeeping forces stationed in southern Lebanon urged all parties on Friday (September 20) to cease hostilities and prevent the situation from further deteriorating.
According to Reuters, Andrea Tenenti, the spokesperson for the UN forces, told reporters that they have witnessed a significant escalation of hostile actions on both sides of the “Blue Line” and throughout the operational area.
“We are concerned about the escalation of conflicts on both sides of the Blue Line and urge all parties to immediately de-escalate the situation,” said Tenenti.
The “Blue Line” refers to the border between Lebanon and Israel.
Earlier this week, explosions occurred in communication devices such as pagers and walkie-talkies used by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Lebanese officials reported that the events resulted in the deaths of 37 people and thousands injured.
Lebanon and Hezbollah blamed Israel for the explosions, and subsequently launched rocket attacks towards Israel.
On Thursday night, the Israeli military launched the most intense attacks on southern Lebanon in nearly a year. The Israeli military stated that their aircraft hit hundreds of rocket launchers in southern Lebanon within two hours, which were targeting Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated in a release that “our goal is to ensure the safety of residents in northern Israeli communities returning to their homes. Over time, Hezbollah will pay a growing price.”
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, in a televised speech on Thursday, referred to the explosions of electronic devices on Tuesday and Wednesday as crossing “all red lines.”
He stated, “The enemy has exceeded all control, law, and morality,” adding that these attacks “can be considered as war crimes or a declaration of war.”
As of now, Israel has not commented on the explosion of Hezbollah’s pagers and radio equipment.
On October 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched cross-border attacks, sparking the Israel-Hamas war. The following day, Hezbollah launched missiles towards Israel.
Over the past year, Israel and Hezbollah armed forces have been continuously engaging in conflict, forcing tens of thousands of people living along the Israel-Lebanon border to evacuate their homes.
Nasrallah claimed that Hezbollah hopes for the Israeli army to enter southern Lebanon, as it would create a “historic opportunity” for this Iran-backed organization.
He further mentioned that any military escalation or full-scale war would not lead to Israeli residents returning to their homes in border areas.
According to reports from Iranian state media, Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami reportedly told Nasrallah on Thursday that Israel will face a thorough counterattack from the “Axis of Resistance” led by Iran.
Salami referred to the alliance of radical groups allied with Iran, including Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas, as well as armed groups in Iraq and Syria.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Paris for a visit, emphasized during a press conference, “We do not want to see any party taking actions that escalate and make it more difficult to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza,” urging all parties to de-escalate tensions and resolve differences through diplomatic means.