“We are also deeply concerned by reports that civilians were also killed in the attack, and that also includes children.”
Call for moderation
The attack marked the first attack on Beirut since the announcement of the April 17 ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, and its subsequent extension.
Dujarric reiterated the UN’s call for all parties to exercise maximum restraint and fully respect international law, including international humanitarian law.
New displacement orders were issued on Thursday for three villages in the Southern and Nabatieh governorates, forcing more civilians to seek refuge elsewhere, the UN coordination office, OCHA, reported.
In total, more than a million people in Lebanon remain displaced. This includes 126,000 people housed in more than 600 collective shelters across the country, although the majority of displaced people remain outside formal shelters.
Support for civilians
Aid partners continue to assist civilians in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas, and 110 humanitarian movements have been facilitated since March 2, when hostilities broke out between Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces.
However, deliveries remain limited by insecurity, movement restrictions, unexploded ordnance and damaged infrastructure.
Despite the limitations, humanitarian partners have distributed more than 160,000 blankets, 120,000 mattresses, as well as more than 100,000 hygiene kits and 50,000 menstrual hygiene kits.
The UN and its partners have also provided more than 3.7 million liters of bottled water to people in need and more than 65,000 cubic meters of water through road transport operations.
Concern for peacekeepers
Meanwhile, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers continue to observe “extensive military activities by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) throughout the area of operations,” Dujarric said, including high-density armored movements, large-scale engineering works and sustained logistical traffic.
“Peacekeepers are also reporting significant incidents of gunfire and projectile trajectories, most of which appear to originate from Israel Defense Forces positions,” he added.
Peacekeepers and UN positions are being directly affected by the ongoing hostilities. Five ‘blue helmets’ have lost their lives since the fighting began.
“Once again, we emphasize that the security of our peacekeepers and the inviolability of our UN facilities must be respected at all times by all,” the spokesperson said.