The United Nations expressed being "extremely alarmed" on Tuesday by "the sharp escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah" in Lebanon, where "tens of thousands" of people have fled the violence this week.

"We are deeply concerned by the severe escalation of attacks we witnessed yesterday. Tens of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes yesterday and overnight, and their numbers continue to grow," said Matthew Saltmarsh, a spokesperson for the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), during a press briefing in Geneva. "This is a region already devastated by war and a country all too familiar with suffering," he added.

Israel launched new strikes overnight on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, following large-scale bombardments on Monday that killed around 500 people and have raised fears of wider conflict nearly a year after the start of the Gaza war.

"Ensuring civilian protection"

"The toll on civilians is unacceptable, and the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in Lebanon is paramount. International humanitarian law must be respected. An immediate end to hostilities is urgently needed," said the UNHCR spokesperson. "We are extremely alarmed by the sharp escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, and we call on all parties to cease violence immediately and ensure the protection of civilians," added Ravina Shamdasani, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, during the press briefing.

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The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has also called "urgently for an immediate de-escalation" and for all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including children, humanitarian workers, and medical personnel. "Yesterday was the worst day Lebanon has seen in 18 years. This violence must stop immediately, or the consequences will be unacceptable," said Unicef's deputy representative in Lebanon, Ettie Higgins, via video from Beirut.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army announced it had struck "dozens of Hezbollah targets in various areas of southern Lebanon" overnight.

The previous day’s bombings, the most intense since the border clashes between Israel and Lebanon began on Oct. 8, 2023, targeted "around 1,600 terrorist sites" in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, according to the Israeli army.

Hezbollah claimed responsibility for launching more Fadi 2 missiles toward Israel overnight, with the Israeli army confirming it had detected about 20 launches.