UN Secretary-General Concerns Against Lebanon Turning Into Another Gaza

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over the escalating war of words and border clashes between Israel military and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters. He said that the UN peacekeepers are working to calm the situation and prevent ‘miscalculation’ amid the possibility of a full-scale conflict.

Guterres said that one rash move or one miscalculation could trigger a catastrophe that is beyond the border and imagination. “Let’s be clear, the people of the region and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza”, he said. According to the UN Secretary-General, the UN peacekeepers are working on the ground to de-escalate tensions and help prevent miscalculation. There is no military solution and military de-escalation is essential.

A UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL and UNTSO, unarmed technical observers, are stationed in southern Lebanon to monitor hostilities along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel.

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Since October 7, Hezbollah has fired rockets and drones into Israel with a similar response was received from Israel. Hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands have been displaced along the border.

Earlier, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant pledged ‘to turn Beirut into Gaza’. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned of ‘no restraint and no rules’ if Israel launches a major attack on Lebanon.

However, analysts remain unclear whether both sides are using threats as deterrence or if they are actually on the brink of war. Experts said that it is not correct to compare Palestine armed groups with Hezbollah as the latter is more trained, organized and well-equipped.

Israel has the best military in the Middle East while it had a bruising experience in 1982, in Lebanon. It was stuck holding a buffer zone for nearly two decades that saw the emergence of Hezbollah. Again in 2006, in a 34-day war, both sides faced huge losses.