UN calls for 'permanent cease-fire' in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza

On Tuesday, the U.N. reiterated its call for a “permanent cease-fire” in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza, while a truce could be announced between Israel and Hezbollah. “The only way to end the suffering of people on all sides is a permanent and immediate cease-fire on all fronts in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza,” Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters in Geneva.

Israel's security cabinet is due to vote on Tuesday on a cease-fire after two months of war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, while the United States has hinted at a deal in the near future, while urging caution.

The spokesperson added that Volker Turk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, was “gravely concerned by the escalation” of the conflict in Lebanon. He pointed out that at least 97 people had been killed in Israeli air strikes between Nov. 22 and 24, including eight children and 19 women. “These are further indications of the brutality of this war against civilians,” he said. This “raises serious concerns about respect for the principles of proportionality, distinction and necessity,” Laurence stressed.

Israel's military action in Lebanon, aimed at the Iranian-backed Lebanese Islamist movement, follows almost a year of Hezbollah bombardments of Israeli territory. Laurence recalled that Hezbollah continued to fire rockets into Israel, causing civilian casualties. “Most of these rocket attacks are indiscriminate in nature,” causing "the displacement of many Israeli civilians, which is unacceptable," insisted the spokesperson.