Briefing journalists in Geneva via video link from the Lebanese capital Beirut, he said that Israel has been conducting airstrikes in Lebanon on a daily basis, while Hezbollah has launched missile and drone attacks on Israel, causing damage on both sides of the Blue Line, and causing widespread destruction in towns and villages.
“The scale of this conflict on humanity has reached unimaginable levels, but global calls for a ceasefire and a solution to the problems at the negotiating table have fallen on deaf ears.”
UN Mission Spokesman Andre Tenenti said that UNIFIL is under great pressure, its infrastructure has been directly attacked, but its provisions are valid for a long-term solution towards safety, security and peace.
UNIFIL has 10,000 peacekeepers from around 50 countries and their deployment has not changed since the violence escalated on 23 September.
“All of them are present on about 50 fronts of operations and are engaged in monitoring and providing information about the situation on the ground.”
According to the UN mission, Israeli forces have penetrated deep into Lebanon, wreaking havoc as part of a campaign against Hezbollah extremists.
Since the start of the Gaza war on October 8, 2023 until November 18, more than 3,500 people have lost their lives and 15,000 have been injured in Lebanon. After September 17 this year, violence erupted again in Lebanon and most of the casualties have occurred since then.
Profound impact on children
Meanwhile, 878,000 people have been displaced due to the violent conflict in Lebanon, according to the United Nations Migration Agency.
Eleven emergency shelters have been set up across the country, with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNRWA) providing assistance to those in need.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed its dismay that the violence that has spread in Lebanon, this dire situation for children is being normalized with profound silence.
UNICEF spokesman James Elder told reporters in Geneva that an average of three children have been killed every day in the past two months, with many more injured and many more injured.
Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes due to Israeli airstrikes. The military crackdown has disproportionately targeted infrastructure on which children depend, including medical centers.
A UNICEF spokesperson said that we must hope that humanity never again allows the level of massacre of children in Gaza. But, in Lebanon, children are being treated with the same callousness.