Deadly Israeli escalation in Lebanon and new evacuation orders coinciding with UN calls for calm

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel, emphasizing in an official statement the necessity for all parties to immediately cease hostile attacks. Guterres urged the concerned parties to fully comply with the principles of international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians in all circumstances and areas affected by the conflict.

The Secretary-General called on Hezbollah and non-state forces to abide by the Lebanese government's decisions aimed at extending its sovereignty over all national territory, stressing the importance of confining weapons to the state and its official institutions. He also issued a clear call for Israel to fully withdraw from areas north of the Blue Line, in respect for Lebanon's internationally recognized sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a related context, Guterres affirmed the international organization's commitment to supporting all diplomatic efforts aimed at consolidating the cessation of hostilities and the comprehensive implementation of UN Resolution 1701. He expressed hope that ongoing negotiations would lead to lasting stability, declaring the UN's continued support for Lebanese state institutions, especially the Lebanese army, to enable it to perform its national duties.

On the ground, the pace of military operations did not subside, as field sources reported continued intense Israeli air raids on wide areas in southern Lebanon and the Beqaa, leading to the martyrdom of several individuals and injuries to others. These raids coincided with the occupation army issuing new evacuation orders for residents of the towns of Arnaya, Kafr Fila, and Anqoun, exacerbating the suffering of displaced persons in those areas.

Reports from the town of Anqoun indicate that it currently hosts about 2,500 displaced persons in addition to its original inhabitants, which makes the evacuation orders a direct threat to thousands of civilians who lack safe havens. Meanwhile, medical sources confirmed the martyrdom of three individuals and one injury in raids targeting the towns of Duweir and Haboush, where missiles completely destroyed residential buildings.

For its part, the Lebanese Civil Defense announced the martyrdom of seven people as a result of a series of overnight raids launched by Israeli aircraft on the coastal city of Tyre. Sources explained that rescue teams faced great difficulties in recovering victims from under the rubble due to the continuous intensive flights of warplanes and drones in the skies of the affected region.

In a further escalation, Israeli drones targeted a motorcycle at the popular relief intersection in the city of Nabatieh, and raids also hit the towns of Haboush and Abba, resulting in varying injuries among civilians. Local sources stated that warplanes destroyed a residential building near the gendarmerie station in the town of Duweir, leading to the martyrdom of one citizen and serious injuries to another.

The wave of intense shelling included the towns of Majdal Zoun, Al-Barak area, and Harouf roundabout, in addition to targeting buildings on the main road of Deir ez-Zahrani with precise airstrikes. The towns of Kafr Rumman, Nabatieh al-Fawqa, and the outskirts of Shoukin and Mayfadoun also came under intense artillery shelling since the early morning hours, causing extensive material damage to public and private properties.

In the city of Tyre, an airstrike targeting the vicinity of Jabal Amel Hospital destroyed a building belonging to a Lebanese bank, and resulted in injuries to 12 people described as moderate and minor. These targeting incidents come within the framework of the intensive military pressure policy practiced by the occupation on infrastructure and populated areas deep in southern Lebanon.

On the other hand, Hezbollah announced the execution of a series of military operations targeting gatherings of occupation soldiers and vehicles in the vicinity of Beaufort Castle, Rashaf, and Al-Qantara. Hezbollah affirmed in its statements that it confronted attempts of ground advances in the city of Khiam, in addition to shooting down a 'Hermes 450' drone and detonating explosive devices against an Israeli force that attempted to infiltrate towards the outskirts of the town of Al-Ghandouriya.

We call on all parties to fully respect the cessation of hostilities and to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law at all times.