United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed Wednesday to the parties in the Middle East to prevent a spillover of the conflict, as Israelis in the country’s north took shelter while incoming fire was reported from South Lebanon.
“I am concerned about the recent exchange of fire along the Blue Line and recent reported attacks from Southern Lebanon,” Guterres told reporters at U.N. headquarters. The Blue Line is the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon, which is patrolled by U.N. peacekeepers.
“I appeal to all parties — and those who have an influence over those parties — to avoid any further escalation and spillover,” he added.
The Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group, Hezbollah, controls southern Lebanon. There are fears it could be drawn into the conflict to support Hamas. In 2006, Israel and Hezbollah fought a bloody 33-day war in Lebanon.
Guterres talking to leaders
The secretary-general said he is in constant contact with leaders in the region to prevent the conflict spreading.
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that Guterres has had a series of calls since Hamas launched its brutal attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers on Saturday that killed more than 1,000 Israelis and some foreigners.
He has spoken with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as the caretaker prime minister in Lebanon, the king of Jordan, Turkey’s president, the prime minister of Qatar and Iran’s foreign minister. Dujarric said the U.N. chief also has a call “pending” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel’s military is widely expected to launch a large-scale ground assault soon on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and has amassed troops along its border. It has imposed a complete siege on the territory in response to Hamas’s terror attacks on Israel and carried out numerous airstrikes, killing hundreds of Palestinians.
‘No time to lose’
Gaza is home to more than 2.2 million Palestinians. U.N. officials have appealed for humanitarian corridors to get critical supplies to civilians living there.
“We need rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access now,” Guterres said, adding that there is “no time to lose.”
He thanked Egypt for its willingness to facilitate humanitarian access through the Rafah border crossing, which it shares with Gaza, and to make its El Arish airport available to aid flights. Israel bombed the Rafah crossing on Tuesday and it was still closed on Wednesday according to reports, so it was unclear when and if humanitarians could start using it.
Also Wednesday, the U.N. agency that assists Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, appealed for $104 million to fund its relief response for the next three months.
UNRWA says the money is needed for the immediate food, shelter, health and protection needs of up to a half-million Palestinians at its shelters in Gaza and in the wider community.
The agency, which has 13,000 staff in Gaza, who are overwhelmingly Palestinian, said 11 staff and 30 students have been killed since Saturday.
Source: voanews.com
