International
UN Calls for Global Pressure to Prevent Israel-Hezbollah Conflict
Rosemary DiCarlo has made a pressing appeal to the global community on Friday, urging nations with influence over Israel and Hezbollah to “leverage it now” to prevent further escalation in the Middle East.
DiCarlo, the U.N. political affairs chief, addressed the Security Council following a series of attacks where Hezbollah’s communication devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies, exploded, resulting in 37 deaths and thousands of injuries.
While Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement, the attacks are widely believed to be its doing.
“We risk seeing a conflagration that could dwarf even the devastation and suffering witnessed so far,” DiCarlo warned the 15-member council, calling on member states to use their influence to de-escalate the situation.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has already stretched for nearly a year, with Hezbollah also launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians.
This ongoing violence has led to mass evacuations on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib accused Israel of orchestrating the attacks and urged the Security Council to condemn Israel’s actions.
He presented a graphic image of a bloody hand with missing fingers, emphasizing the brutality of the attacks.
“No one in this world is safe anymore,” Bou Habib declared, demanding that Israel be held accountable for violating Lebanon’s sovereignty.
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In response, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon stressed that Israel does not seek a broader conflict but will not tolerate Hezbollah’s provocations.
“If Hezbollah does not retreat from our border… Israel will be left with no choice but to use any means within our rights to defend our citizens,” Danon stated.
Meanwhile, Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, representing a nation that backs both Hezbollah and Hamas, reiterated warnings about the consequences of Israel’s actions.
He noted that Iran has shown “maximum restraint” in the face of these provocations, despite the injury of Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon in the recent attacks.
The United States, a key ally of Israel, through Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.
Robert Wood, called on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law, emphasizing the need to avoid civilian casualties.
“It is imperative that even as facts emerge… all parties refrain from any actions which could plunge the region into a devastating war,” Wood cautioned.
Lastly, U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk expressed deep concern over the legality of the attacks on Hezbollah’s communication devices, calling for an independent investigation to hold those responsible accountable.
“International humanitarian and human rights law apply regardless and must be upheld,” Turk reminded the council.
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