SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES HEZBOLLAH AND GOVERNMENTS OF ISRAEL, LEBANON AND SYRIA TO SHOW RESTRAINT FOLLOWING VIOLATIONS OF ‘BLUE LINE’

Press Release
SG/SM/7640

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES HEZBOLLAH AND GOVERNMENTS OF ISRAEL, LEBANON AND SYRIA TO SHOW RESTRAINT FOLLOWING VIOLATIONS OF ‘BLUE LINE’

The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General was alarmed to learn about yesterday’s violations of the “blue line”, when a roadside bomb was detonated causing Israeli casualties, followed by retaliatory strikes by Israeli forces against targets in southern Lebanon.

The Secretary-General insists that all parties cease violating the “blue line” identified by the United Nations in May this year for the purpose of confirming the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and which all relevant governments agreed to respect.

The Secretary-General urges all parties, including Hezbollah and the Governments of Israel, Lebanon and Syria to show restraint at a time when even small military actions have the potential to cause a serious escalation of tensions and hostilities in the region.

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