«We urge all parties to cease all actions across the Blue Line now,» the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said in a statement shared with Newsweek.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is urging calm after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted strikes against southern Lebanon in response to a cross-border rocket barrage in the midst of a worsening series of escalations in the region.
«UNIFIL’s Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Aroldo Lázaro, is speaking with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line,» the spokesperson added.
UNIFIL is a multinational force comprised of around 10,000 troops from 47 nations deployed to the tense Israel-Lebanon border, also known as the Blue Line, where up to 35 rockets were launched into Israel by what the IDF has assessed to be Palestinian factions in Lebanon. IDF spokesperson Richard Hecht said earlier Thursday that 25 of the rockets were intercepted, but no response had yet been conducted.
«Our liaison and coordination mechanisms are fully engaged. Both sides have said they do not want a war,» the UNIFIL spokesperson said. «The actions over the past day are dangerous and risk a serious escalation.
