O.Next.- Guterres warns about the use of “increasingly destructive weapons” by Israel and Hezbollah

MADRID, 7 (EUROPA PRESS)

The Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, warned this Thursday about the use of “increasingly destructive weapons” by the Israeli Army and the Lebanese Shiite militia party Hezbollah during their clashes on the Lebanese-Israeli border, which have been intensified in recent days.

“(Guterres) renews his calls for the parties to urgently cease fire. He remains deeply concerned that the exchanges of fire have not only devastated communities near the Blue Line, but have also more deeply impacted the territories of both Lebanon and Israel, with the use of increasingly destructive weapons. These exchanges of fire could trigger a broader conflict with devastating consequences for the region,” said the secretary general’s spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, in a statement. .

Likewise, he has lamented the loss of “hundreds of lives” and the displacement of “thousands of people” whose homes and livelihoods “have been destroyed” on both sides of the Blue Line, the border designated by the UN.

“The forest fires caused by the explosions are further devastating communities and the environment,” he added, after which he insisted on the need for both parties to commit to ceasing hostilities and resolving their differences based on the resolution. 1701 (2006) of the United Nations Security Council.

The same Thursday morning, an Israeli soldier was killed in a kamikaze drone attack carried out by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon against the town of Hurfeish, where more than a dozen people were injured. Earlier in the week, attacks by the Islamist group caused large fires in northern Israel, which in recent days has led to deaths of both civilians and Hezbollah members.

The Israeli Army and Hezbollah – backed by Iran and which has significant political weight in Lebanon – have been engaged in a series of clashes since October 8, a day after the attacks carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas). which left nearly 1,200 dead and about 240 kidnapped.

To date, at least ten civilians and 15 Israeli military and reservists have been killed in attacks carried out by Hezbollah. The fighting has left around 400 dead in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, a balance published through its account on the social network Facebook and which does not differentiate between members of Hezbollah and civilians. It also reflects that another 1,200 people have been injured.

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, warned on Wednesday that the Israeli Army “is prepared for a very powerful action” on the border with Lebanon, within the framework of a visit to the city of Kiryat Shmona, located in the north of country and target of dozens of projectile and drone attacks by Hezbollah.