Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, expressed deep alarm over the escalation in southern Lebanon and the impact on civilians, reiterating the need for a cessation of hostilities and negotiations to restore calm.

“UNIFIL peacekeepers feel duty-bound to the mandate given to them by the Security Council, and they feel duty-bound to the population in southern Lebanon,” he told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York, referring to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.

“The peacekeepers are currently staying in their position…Team UNIFIL remains united and committed.”

He added that the mission continues working with partners “to do whatever they can” to protect the population, providing temporary shelter to affected populations in recent weeks and supporting the delivery of humanitarian assistance.