The damage from an Israeli strike in the southern suburbs of Beirut, March 5, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, on Saturday called for talks between Lebanon and Israel to end the clashes between the Israeli army and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement that began Monday.
“Talks between Lebanon and Israel may be the decisive element that allows future generations to avoid reliving the same nightmare over and over,” she said in a statement.
“If the situation is already serious, it is set to get even worse. Too many people are at risk of suffering. Hostilities must cease,” she added.
In December, Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives took part for the first time in decades in direct talks during a meeting of the committee tasked with monitoring the November 2024 cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah.
The mechanism includes Lebanon, Israel, the United Nations, the United States and France.
Lebanon has been drawn into the conflict spreading across the Middle East since Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel on Monday, saying the attack was meant to avenge the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
