Ruptly
"The United Nations Secretary-General’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that the UN is ‘deeply alarmed’ by escalating military activity in southern Lebanon, warning that the situation is worsening ahead of critical US-sponsored negotiations. “Israeli warnings of imminent strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs are deeply concerning and have heightened fear and uncertainty among the population in Lebanon,” he said during a press briefing. “We reiterate that civilians and civilian infrastructure must not be targeted. We urge all actors to respect the cessation of hostilities and avoid further escalation,” he added, stressing a diplomatic solution to ‘break the cycle of violence’ on both sides of the borders. He added that UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert continues to engage all sides to honour the agreed ceasefire and push forward with confidence-building measures. Dujarric also confirmed that the UN Security Council would convene an emergency session at the request of France to address the rapidly deteriorating situation in Lebanon. On the ground, he said UNIFIL peacekeepers have recorded a sharp rise in hostilities, including hundreds of trajectories exchanged across southern Lebanon. “Yesterday, they recorded 744 trajectories, including 683 attributed to the IDF,” he said. “On Monday, 400 trajectories were detected, 380 attributed to the IDF, and 22 non-state actors, as well as 12 airstrikes and 59 airspace violations of Lebanese airspace,” adding that further exchanges continued into Monday with additional airstrikes and airspace violations. Dujarric refused to be drawn by a question on whether "the Lebanese people have the right to resist those invaders and occupiers," while underlining that the Lebanese armed forces must maintain a strict ‘monopoly of arms’ to protect the nation's borders. This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that he had ordered continued strikes on Hezbollah 'terror targets' in Beirut, as Israeli forces continue to advance deeper into Lebanese territory. Dujarric also fielded a question on whether the UN had a message on whether "the latest escalation in military action between Iran and the United States threatening the ceasefire and talks." “The message is one of restraint; the message is to calling on both the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States to redouble their efforts at diplomacy,” he replied. When asked by a reporter on whether the ongoing violence around Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon were 'heading in the right trajectory', and whether the Secretary considers them to be 'interrelated', the spokesperson responded with a somewhat flippant analogy. "They're not heading in the right direction and it is yet another reason to redouble diplomatic efforts,” he noted. "It's parents' day, right? So what's that song about the thigh bone being connected to the leg bone? Everything is interconnected.” President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire between both sides on April 15, extending it by three weeks on April 23 following direct talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington. The United States later announced a further 45-day extension in mid-May. Meanwhile, the Israeli military has established a 'Yellow Line' in southern Lebanon to prevent residents from returning to areas under its control. The measure echoes a tactic previously used in the Gaza Strip, where civilians are barred from entering designated zones under ceasefire agreements."
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