UN does not 'want Israel to invade Lebanon', calls for restraint

The UN has expressed concern over the worsening situation in Lebanon amid escalating Israeli attacks, adding that it opposes Israel's reported intention to launch a ground invasion into Lebanon.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "remains deeply concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the events that are unfolding in Lebanon," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference on Monday.

Asked if the UN would call on Israel to refrain from a ground incursion, Dujarric said: "The secretary-general has called (for this) and will continue to do so. We do not want to see any sort of ground invasions."

Emphasising Guterres' call to all parties to exercise restraint and de-escalate tensions, Dujarric also stressed the need to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

Adopted on Aug. 11, 2006, the resolution calls for a complete cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line (the de facto Lebanon-Israel border) and the Litani River, allowing only the Lebanese army and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to possess weapons and military equipment in the area.

'Refrain from ground incursion'

Dujarric said Guterres and his team are in contact with those on the ground and continue to seek diplomatic solutions.

He said UN personnel along the Blue Line are continuing their duties, but the conflict has restricted their operations.

Saying that civilians are the most affected by the rising tensions, Dujarric announced that "a new flash appeal will be launched tomorrow, Tuesday, which will serve to mobilise additional resources for Lebanon to meet the growing needs of about 1 million people impacted by the growing crisis," including a mass exodus from southern Lebanon, along the border with Israel.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said early on Thursday that Tel Aviv will only accept a ceasefire in Lebanon when Hezbollah is pushed away from the border to north of the Litani River and disarmed.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.