NEW YORK: The UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon on Thursday urged Israel to immediately halt airstrikes in southern Lebanon and called on all sides to show restraint to prevent a wider escalation.

The peacekeeping mission said its troops observed multiple Israeli airstrikes in the southern towns of Tayr Dibbah, Taibe and Ayta Al-Jabal — areas within UNIFIL’s zone of operations.

One person was killed and eight others were wounded in the heavy strikes.

Israel said the airstrikes targeted Hezbollah sites and capabilities, marking an escalation in near-daily attacks despite a standing ceasefire agreement.

“These airstrikes constitute clear violations of Security Council resolution 1701,” UNIFIL said, referring to the 2006 resolution that ended the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The interim force called on Israel to “immediately cease these attacks and all violations” of UN Security Council resolution 1701, while urging Lebanese actors “to refrain from any response that could inflame the situation further.”

It said both countries must adhere to their obligations under the resolution and to a recent understanding reached in November “to avoid putting the current hard-won progress at risk.”

In November 2024, Israel and Lebanon agreed a US and French-brokered ceasefire that ended over a year of conflict.

The agreement, which took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, was a 60-day truce intended to be the foundation for a permanent cessation of hostilities based on the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 170.

UNIFIL said the overnight strikes came as the Lebanese Armed Forces carried out operations to control unauthorized weapons and infrastructure south of the Litani River.

“Any military action, especially on such a destructive scale, threatens the safety of civilians and undermines progress toward a political and diplomatic solution,” it said.

UNIFIL added that its peacekeepers remain deployed alongside Lebanese soldiers “working to restore stability in south Lebanon,” and continue to support both Lebanon and Israel in implementing the resolution.