UN urges 'maximum restraint' amid Israel's continued intense military activity in Lebanon

The UN on Tuesday urged "maximum restraint" as peacekeepers in Lebanon continued to observe intense military activity by Israel in southern Lebanon despite efforts to de-escalate tensions.

"Despite ongoing de-escalation efforts, our UNIFIL colleagues in the south continue to observe intense air activity and exchange of fire across the Blue Line and within UNIFIL's own area of operations, as stressed during the Emergency Security Council session yesterday," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

"We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and fully adhere to the cessation of hostilities that was agreed to," he said.

Dujarric noted that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) recorded 478 projectile trajectories between midnight and 4 pm local time, including 468 attributed to Israeli forces and 10 to Hezbollah.

The mission also documented nine Israeli airstrikes and 46 violations of Lebanese airspace during the same period, he said.

The latest incidents followed what Dujarric described as "intense military activity" the previous day, when UNIFIL reported 702 projectile trajectories alongside 47 launches from Hezbollah.

He said peacekeepers observed intensive air activity throughout their area of operations and reported strikes in both sectors, including attacks on road networks.

"The escalation in southern Lebanon has included a high volume of artillery, mortar, and rocket fire," said Dujarric, noting that UNIFIL recorded 702 firing incidents from Israeli forces' positions south of the Blue Line and within its area of operations on Sunday.

Pointing to two recent incidents affecting UN peacekeepers, Dujarric affirmed that no UN personnel were injured as they took shelter elsewhere.

Asked whether the presence of Israeli troops inside Lebanese territory constitutes occupation, Dujarric refrained from characterizing it as such.

"Look, there are clearly Israeli troops in Lebanon, and that's a fact that the Israelis themselves admit," he said.

Dujarric stressed the need for all parties to respect existing agreements and work toward restoring stability.

"The point is that there are agreements, they need to be respected. We want to see the guns silenced. We want to see the population of South Lebanon being able to return to their homes in peace and security. We want to see the people in northern Israel being able to return to their homes in peace and security," he said.

Israel has continued military operations in Lebanon in violation of a US-mediated ceasefire that took effect April 17 and was later extended until early July.

At least 3,468 people have been killed and 10,577 injured in Israeli attacks since March 2, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry.

The conflict has displaced more than 1 million people and caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure, including schools, health care facilities, mosques and churches.

Israel recently asked its forces to expand its offensive in Lebanon, but US President Donald Trump said Monday that Israeli forces would not move on Beirut after a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.