UN warns against 'large-scale ground invasion' in Lebanon

The United Nations warned Israel on Tuesday against a "large-scale ground invasion" of Lebanon, after the Israeli military began a ground assault.

"With armed violence between Israel and Hezbollah boiling over, the consequences for civilians have already been terrible," Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the UN rights office, told reporters in Geneva.

"We fear a large-scale ground invasion by Israel into Lebanon would only result in greater suffering," she warned.

Her comment came as Israeli troops were locked in fierce clashes inside Lebanon after launching an invasion early on Tuesday, after a week of deadly airstrikes.

Before the invasion, Israel's escalating strikes on Lebanon reportedly killed more than 1,000 people in just two weeks, Throssell pointed out.

The violence has also forced up to a million people to flee their homes, according to Lebanese officials.

The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said it was "deeply concerned" about the Israeli invasion.

"We urge all parties to prioritise the protection of civilians, adhere to international humanitarian law, and engage in immediate de-escalation to prevent further loss of life and to prevent further suffering," OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke told reporters.

On Tuesday, OCHA and Lebanon's prime minister launched an urgent appeal for $426 million to address the humanitarian crisis in the country over the next three months.

Laerke said the appeal was aimed at helping one million people, based on "the needs that we know".

But he warned that with the latest developments "things could get worse".

Israel has widened its attacks in recent days to include Lebanon as well as the Gaza Strip, targeting Iran's regional ally, Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has been launching low-intensity strikes on Israeli troops since its Palestinian ally Hamas launched an unprecedented deadly attack in Israel on October 7.

Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza has devastated the densely populated Palestinian territory and killed tens of thousands.

Throssell pointed out that even before the most recent escalation, "tens of thousands of homes across Lebanon had been reportedly damaged or destroyed" as Israel hit back at Hezbollah.

"Medical facilities have been damaged, with 10 per cent of health centres in Lebanon closed," she said.

Since October 2023, 41 medical workers in Lebanon have reportedly been killed and 111 wounded, "with 14 killed in the last two days alone".

Throssell pointed out that more than 60,000 people had been displaced in Israel amid Hezbollah's missile fire over the past year.

"The impact of the escalation resulting from Huthi missile fire from Yemen into Israel and Israeli attacks in response are also deeply troubling," she added, urging all parties to the conflicts to "do all they can to protect the lives of civilians".

"Too many innocent children, women and men have been killed, and too much destruction has been exacted," she said.

Tuesday's invasion came after Israel launched air strikes on Gaza, the south of Lebanon's capital Beirut, and the Syrian capital Damascus — despite international calls for restraint to avoid a regional conflagration.

"We are gravely concerned by the widening hostilities in the Middle East and their potential to engulf the entire region in a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe," Throssell said.

"The prospects that the situation may deteriorate further with terrible impact on civilians, and that it could rapidly expand to embroil other states in the region, are real."