More than a conflict involving two countries, the war that Israel is waging against Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas could become “a regional conflict with a catastrophic impact for all” according to the UN.
The escalation is intensifying in the Middle East, where the Israeli army is fighting Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas, allies of Iran. The situation is such that the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL), deployed in southern Lebanon, has warned of a regional conflict “catastrophic» .
«The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is not just a conflict that involves two countries. Very soon it could be a regional conflict with catastrophic impact for all“, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told AFP on Saturday.
Read the fileIsrael’s offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon: the Middle East risks conflagration
Israel came under fire on Friday after UNIFIL accused Israeli troops of shooting “repeatedly» et «deliberate» on his positions. Five peacekeepers were injured in 48 hours, according to UNIFIL, whose positions had suffered “a lot of damage“, indicated Andrea Tenenti. For its part, the Israeli army said it had fired in the direction of a “menace».
Biden and Macron defend UN forces
On Saturday, at least 40 countries, including 34 contributors to UNIFIL, gave their support “complete» to the force and urged to protect the peacekeepers. US President Joe Biden asked Israel to stop firing on UN forces in Lebanon, while Emmanuel Macron judged “unacceptable» that they are targeted «deliberately by Israeli forces».
The president also urged Hezbollah to “stop immediately» strikes against Israel, adding that a ceasefire must be “implemented immediately» in Lebanon.
Also readTensions in the Middle East: Macron calls on Hezbollah to “immediately stop” strikes against Israel
The war in Gaza, triggered by an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023 on Israeli soil, and that in Lebanon are accompanied by an escalation between Israel and Iran, with Israeli leaders threatening to retaliate to an Iranian attack missiles on October 1.
After weakening Hamas in Gaza, Israel moved the war front to Lebanon in September, with the aim of moving Hezbollah away from the border areas and stopping its rocket fire to allow the return to the north of Israel of some 60,000 displaced inhabitants.
Since October 2023, more than 2,100 people have been killed in Lebanon, including more than 1,200 since September 23, according to an AFP count based on official figures. The UN has recorded nearly 700,000 displaced people.
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