UN condemns most recent Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s capital

United Nations

Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali

On Sunday, Israeli forces struck Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, for the first time since June. According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, the attacks killed five people and injured another 25. Among those killed was Hezbollah’s chief of staff, Haytham Tabtabai.

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said in a statement, “We will continue to act forcefully to prevent any threat to the residents of the north and the state of Israel,” suggesting that the attack in Beirut aimed to neutralize Hezbollah’s threat. Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told reporters at the scene of the strike, “Hezbollah’s leadership is studying the matter of response and will take the appropriate decision.”

In just the last two weeks, the Israeli military has struck Lebanon 12–15 times. The latest attack has been perceived as the gravest escalation of the IDF’s recent campaigns, drawing a strong response from Lebanon’s President, Joseph Aoun. In a statement, he condemned the Israeli strike as open belligerence against the capital and as undermining the November 2024 ceasefire. Aoun called on the international community to “intervene with strength and seriousness to stop the attacks on Lebanon and its people.”

The United Nations has expressed serious concern. Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, said the UN “urges all actors to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation, and reminds the parties that civilians and civilian areas must not be targeted.” He added, “Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty must be respected, and we reiterate our calls for the parties to uphold their obligations to maintain a cessation of hostilities and to fully implement Security Council Resolution 1701.”

Security Council Resolution 1701 served as a key resolution ending the 2006 Israel–Lebanon War. Adopted on August 11, 2006, the resolution called on the parties to immediately cease ongoing violence and hostilities, directed the Lebanese government to achieve the full disarmament of Hezbollah and assert control over its territory, and required Israeli forces to completely withdraw from southern Lebanon, leaving the contested territory under the purview of UNIFIL peacekeeping forces.