The United Nations (UN) has issued a stark warning about the potential escalation of violence in Lebanon and Syria, following a series of explosions involving electronic pagers in both countries, which now pose a serious threat to the region’s stability.
In a UN Security Council meeting held late Friday at the request of Algeria, the sole Arab member of the council, key updates were provided by Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
DiCarlo emphasized that the threats to peace and security extend beyond Lebanon, stating that the danger to security and stability was not limited to Lebanon, but also the region as a whole.
She highlighted the increasing violence between Lebanese resistance forces and Israeli occupation forces, noting an uptick in exchange of fire.
She also pointed to the recent coordinated explosions of pager devices used primarily by members of the Lebanese resistance across the country, with s
imilar incidents reported in Syria.
DiCarlo confirmed that the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, remains in constant communication with all parties involved, pushing for a diplomatic resolution and warning against further escalation.
She also mentioned the ongoing devastating war in Gaza, reiterating UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ urgent call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, and a significant increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Volker Turk expressed grave concern over the civilian toll of the attacks on September 17 and 18 in Lebanon, which involved the detonation of pagers and other devices.
He stated that these attacks unleashed widespread fear, panic, and terror among an already suffering population, and called for an independent and transparent investigation into the explosions and accountability for those responsible.
Turk stressed that targeting civilians or armed group members without clear knowledge of the devices’ ownership at the time of the expl
osions violates international human rights and humanitarian law.
Both DiCarlo and Turk emphasized that the violence in Lebanon was closely linked to the broader regional conflict, including the ongoing war in Gaza, rising tensions in the West Bank, and the continued Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Source: Kuwait News Agency