The UN human rights chief on Tuesday urged anyone with influence in the Middle East or elsewhere to work towards preventing any further escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, expressing deep concern over the recent sharp escalation.
Israel's military reported on Tuesday that it had targeted numerous Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon overnight, following a series of airstrikes against the Iran-backed group's sites in Lebanon, marking one of the deadliest days in the country in decades. Nearly 500 people have been killed, and tens of thousands have fled from areas in southern Lebanon.
"UN High Commissioner Volker Türk calls on all States and actors with influence in the region and beyond to avert further escalation and do everything they can to ensure full respect for international law," Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for Turk, stated at a Geneva press briefing. "The methods and means of warfare being employed raise very serious concerns about their compliance with international humanitarian law," she added.
Regarding reports that Israel had issued warnings to civilians via phone messages before the strikes, Shamdasani commented, "Sending warnings to civilians to flee does not justify striking those areas, especially when the impact on civilians is known to be significant."
At the same press briefing, Abdinasir Abubakar, a WHO official in Lebanon, noted that some hospitals in the country were overwhelmed by the influx of wounded people. Four healthcare workers were killed on Monday, he added.
"We have evidence and documentation indicating that there were attacks on health facilities, including ambulances," Abubakar stated, condemning the impact on Lebanon's already fragile health sector.
Matthew Saltmarsh, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, said that more people are expected to flee their homes, and the agency is working to identify new shelters for displaced people around Beirut and the Bekaa valley.
"We're looking at tens of thousands of displaced individuals, but we anticipate that number will rise," he said. "The situation is extremely alarming and chaotic, and we are doing our best to support the government."
