Secretary-General António Guterres and other United Nations
officials have condemned Saturday's rocket attack on a football
field in the Golan Heights that killed at least 12 civilians,
mainly children and teenagers. Urging restraint, they also warned
against escalating violence in the region.
The UN chief condemned the
killing of 12 civilians, mainly children and
teenagers in the Druze village of Majdal Shams in the
Israeli-occupied Golan and conveyed his deepest condolences to
the families of those who lost their lives and wished a
speedy recovery to all those injured.
“Civilians, and children in particular, should not continue
to bear the burden of the horrific violence plaguing the region,”
said a note issued on Sunday by Mr. Guterres's
Spokesperson.
It went on to say that the Secretary-General calls on
all parties to exercise maximum restraint and reiterates
once again his consistent call on all concerned to avoid any
further escalation.
“The exchanges of fire across the Blue Line must
cease immediately. All parties must comply with their obligations
under international law,” said the note, adding that parties must
urgently recommit to the full implementation of UN Security
Council resolution 1701 and immediately return to
a cessation of hostilities.
[Adopted by the Security Council in 2006, resolution
1701 aimed at ending the war that year between
Israel and Hezbollah. It calls for an end to hostilities, the
withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon, and the establishment
of demilitarized zone.]
Also reacting to the “abhorrent rocket attack”, the UN's top
Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland warned Saturday on X
that the region is on the brink;
“the world and the region cannot afford another open conflict. I
urge all to exercise maximum restraint. The launching of rockets
across the Blue Line must cease immediately.”
In a joint
statement released on Saturday, the UN Special
Coordinator for Lebanon and the Force Commander of the UN
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), also condemned the
attack.
“We deplore the death of civilians – young children and teenagers
– in Majdal Shams. Civilians must be protected at all times,
said, respectively, envoy Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and Lt. Gen.
Aroldo Lázaro.
The two officials urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint
and put a stop to the ongoing intensified exchanges of fire,
fearing “it could ignite a wider conflagration that would engulf
the entire region in a catastrophe beyond belief.”
