UN Special Coordinator declares urgent need to de-escalate situation on Blue Line

The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka on Tuesday emphasized the urgent need to de-escalate the situation along the Blue Line amid ongoing strikes between Hezbollah and Israel.

"Our collective focus and advocacy must be on urging the parties to exercise restraint and calling for a return to the cessation of hostilities through the full implementation of resolution 1701 to prevent a wider conflagration that Lebanon neither wants nor can afford,” Wronecka said in a statement.

Expressing deep concern over the daily strikes across the Blue Line since Oct. 8, she said the "developments of the past six weeks represent the most serious violations of Resolution 1701 since its adoption in 2006. This also serves as a reminder that the full implementation of Resolution 1701 is a key entry point to realize peace, security, and stability in the region."

"The ongoing exchanges of fire have resulted in numerous casualties, including civilians, on both sides, internal displacement of thousands as well as material and environmental damages. Notably, the danger of miscalculation and broader conflict is ever-present," Wronecka added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli strikes killed two journalists and multiple civilians.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, passed after the July 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, calls for a "permanent ceasefire" and the deployment of Lebanese Army soldiers and UNIFIL soldiers on the Blue Line.