UN News Today 19 November 2024 |

Lebanon war: ‘Renewed intensity’ of exchanges of fire across Blue Line

Hostilities continue to intensify in Lebanon where peacekeepers have witnessed the “shocking” destruction of villages in the south of the country, along the UN-patrolled Blue Line that separates Lebanon from Israel.

In an update, Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), said that ground clashes inside Lebanon – some of them very close to UNIFIL positions – have become “more violent”.

He said that although the mission’s monitoring capabilities are limited because of the clashes, UNIFIL has seen Israeli forces carry out incursions about “two or three kilometres deeper” inside Lebanese territory, before withdrawing.

Mr. Tenenti reported daily Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon as well as missile and drone attacks into Israel by Hezbollah armed fighters.

Out of an original population in southern Lebanon of 600,000, only around 60,000 people remain in UNIFIL’s area of operations, all of whom need assistance.

Latest UN data indicates that nearly 900,000 people have been uprooted inside Lebanon since hostilities began last October, linked to the war in Gaza. More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon and nearly 15,000 have been wounded, according to the authorities.  

Gaza: UN health agency alert for devastated hospital in besieged north

A stricken hospital in northern Gaza has two weeks of supplies left “at very best”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

In an alert on Tuesday, WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris said there are 78 patients at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya. They lack food, drinking water and medical supplies – although a lot of specific medicines “are just not there”.

“It’s impossible to plan, it’s impossible to bring the things in, and we need to be able to bring in the emergency medical teams. There are wonderful people who are willing to risk a very dangerous situation to help those children, but we’re not being able to get them in.”

Kamal Adwan Hospital is short on medical staff, with only one paediatrician and one resident orthopaedic volunteer doctor.

Four planned WHO missions to the hospital were denied by the Israeli authorities between 8 and 16 November while two other missions which were granted access, were not allowed to bring fuel, supplies or water.

Hong Kong sentencing of pro-democracy activists in UN rights office spotlight

To Hong Kong, where the UN human rights office, OHCHR, has expressed deep concern at the “harsh sentences” handed down to dozens of pro-democracy protesters involved in the 2020 movement.

They held an unofficial primary to pick opposition candidates for local elections.

UN human rights office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said that “sweeping” security laws had been used against activists including Jimmy Lai, the billionaire media publisher and entrepreneur.

These laws criminalized citizens in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – or Hong Kong SAR, as it is also known – who are “protected by human rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association”, insisted Mr. Laurence:

“Beyond the large numbers of accused directly impacted by criminal proceedings, these laws have major chilling effects on others in Hong Kong SAR, including the media, legislators, human rights defenders, lawyers, students, academia, bloggers and artists.”

Mr. Laurence stressed that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for the convictions and sentences to be carefully reviewed by appellate courts against international human rights obligations binding upon Hong Kong.

“All cases not fully meeting these standards should be quashed,” he said.

Daniel Johnson, UN News

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