Diplomatic bid to avoid Lebanon-Israel battle still possible

Heavy artillery used by Israel in the war against Gaza.

Lebanon and the wider region remains on a knife edge as the war in Gaza grinds on and exchanges of fire continue across its southern border with Israel, the UN Special Coordinator told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Briefing ambassadors behind closed doors, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert gave her update alongside the UN Peace Operations chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix, following the latest report on the UN mission which monitors the so-called Blue Line frontier between Lebanon and northern Israel.

She said Lebanon, along with the wider region, remains on a knife-edge, yet a diplomatic way out is still possible, according to a press release on the proceedings.

Rejecting the notion of an all-out conflict as inevitable, she said both Lebanon and Israel had stated they were not seeking war and she expressed hope that a “Gaza deal” would lead to an immediate return to the cessation of hostilities across the Blue Line.

The Special Coordinator echoed concerns, however, that a miscalculation by either side could easily ignite a regional war.

She therefore urged no effort be spared to bring both sides back from the brink, while stressing implementation of resolution 1701 as the pathway towards long-term security.

She also explained that, amid an “ongoing presidential impasse” the erosion of State authority and its institutions, was a material fact on the ground.

“She lamented that Lebanese people are forced to survive on remittances or by juggling multiple jobs, and underlined the urgency of reviving progress on economic and financial reforms”, the release issued by her office said. - UN News