UN Special Coordinator, UNIFIL Commander call for peace along Blue Line amid rising tensions

In a joint statement on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro urged all sides along the Blue Line "to put down their weapons and commit to a path of peace."

The statement read: "Since October, we have seen too many lives lost, families uprooted, and neighbourhoods destroyed. We are deeply concerned about the escalation we have seen recently."

It added that miscalculation might lead to a "sudden and wider conflict," posing a real danger.

"We continue to engage with the parties and urge all actors to cease their fire and commit to working toward a political and diplomatic solution - which is the only lasting solution," the joint statement affirmed.