The development comes as the top UN official in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, has begun an official visit to Israel to meet with senior government officials, after to insist That “there is no military solution that will make either side more secure”.
In Lebanon, it was reported that people in the south received messages on Monday from the Israeli military by phone and on social media, asking them to stay away from buildings or villages linked to the militant group Hezbollah.
The armed group reportedly fired some 150 projectiles into northern Israel over the weekend, the latest in a series of Hezbollah attacks that began shortly after the war in Gaza broke out and have so far uprooted some 60,000 Israelis. In southern Lebanon, some 30,000 people have been displaced from their homes.
UN mission expresses ‘serious concern’ for civilians
The UN mission patrolling the Blue Line separating Lebanon and Israel, UNITexpressed “grave concern for the safety of civilians” amid what was Israel’s deadliest day of violence and bombardment since the October terrorist attacks that sparked the regional crisis.
Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro, Head of Mission and UNIFIL Force Commander, has reached out to both Lebanese and Israeli sides, stressing the urgent need for de-escalation. “Efforts are underway to reduce tensions and stop shelling,” the mission added.
If this dangerous situation escalates further, it could have far-reaching and devastating consequences, not only for the people living on both sides of the Blue Line, but also for the rest of the region.
Attacks on civilians not only violate international law but can also amount to war crimes, UNIFIL stressed.
“It is essential to fully recommit ourselves to the implementation of the UN goals. Security Council Resolution 1701 is now more important than ever to address the underlying causes of the conflict and ensure lasting stability.”
Amid repeated calls from the international community for regional de-escalation, the Security Council met in emergency session last Fridayafter deadly Israeli attacks on the Lebanese capital Beirut and in the south.
The meeting came at the end of a week of increased cross-border shelling between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, following two days of deadly explosions from wireless devices targeting the militant group.
Rain adds to humanitarian crisis
Meanwhile, in central Gaza, shelters were destroyed during the attack on the Nuseirat camp, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees said. UNRWAwhile media reports also pointed to an increase in Israeli military activities.
The UN agency also said heavy rains and rising tides had overwhelmed makeshift shelters along the coastline, where the Israeli military has ordered residents of the enclave to move through numerous evacuation orders. Since Hamas-led terror attacks on multiple targets in Israel on Oct. 7, 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced, or 90 percent of the population.
Local authorities have urged people living in low-lying areas to leave and seek higher ground, while UN relief teams and partners reported that they did not have access or security guarantees to bring sufficient shelter materials to help everyone affected by the rainfall.
In addition to the ongoing deadly threat of war, UNRWA also warned that people living in Gaza’s open spaces face grave health risks due to the lack of sewage or stormwater drainage.
The UN agency noted that reptiles, rodents and insects posed a growing disease threat and that teams had already begun spraying pesticides and removing rubbish to prevent families from becoming ill.
Power failure
In northern Gaza, UN humanitarian workers said the lack of clean water remains a major problem.
Water, sanitation and hygiene facilities running on generators powered by fuel transported into the enclave have had to “drastically reduce” their opening hours to avoid total closures, the UN aid coordination office said. OCHA, said.
“Humanitarian partners working on the response say it is still extremely difficult to get fuel to the northwith deliveries often being delayed or rejected at checkpoints by Israeli authorities,” it noted.
In addition to chronic problems with access to aid, the current water crisis in Gaza is exacerbated by damage to water infrastructure, a lack of security that makes repairs impossible, and a shortage of spare parts and chlorine.
To address the emergency, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said it provides 15 liters of water per person per day to nearly 900,000 people, covering part of their water needs for three months.
Since October, UNICEF has provided water to more than 1.7 million people in Khan Younis, Rafah and central Gaza, distributing 4.75 million litres of bottled water.
The UN agency also supported local authorities with more than 3.4 million liters of fuel and more than 40 cubic meters of water treatment chemicals, allowing them to partially restore water production and distribution from seawater desalination plants.
Four mobile water treatment plants in Khan Younis and Rafah have also been implemented with UNICEF support, each capable of producing five cubic meters of water per hour. Tankers then distribute the clean water to displaced Palestinians near their shelters, as fuel for vehicles is hard to come by and children often have to walk long distances to fetch water for their families.
