Lebanon06 September, 20262 min read
UN Chief Demands Israeli Withdrawal From Lebanon After Nabatieh Escalation Kills Civilians
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UN Secretary-General calls for immediate cessation of hostilities and Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Escalation around Nabatieh has increased civilian casualties in southern Lebanon.
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Nabatieh escalation and flight
The UN chief condemned mounting civilian casualties in southern Lebanon and demanded Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory as fighting intensified in and around Nabatieh. In a statement issued by his Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, the Secretary-General said he was “deeply concerned” by the escalation of Israeli military operations and condemned “scenes of massive destruction” unfolding across the district. OCHA said around 20,000 people fled Nabatieh District last week, while UNIFIL recorded 528 Israeli projectiles fired between Thursday and Monday and 62 airspace violations on Sunday alone.
UNIFIL also said it facilitated 13 missions between Thursday and Monday in coordination with OCHA, while the UN called on all parties to respect UNIFIL’s freedom of movement. The UN chief appealed for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urged all sides to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.
Kfar Roummane strikes and blame
Israeli air strikes on a village in southern Lebanon killed at least 12 people, the Lebanese health ministry said, with 11 killed in a strike that destroyed a residential building in Kfar Roummane and a second strike on a vehicle killing a paramedic. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the “dangerous escalation” was jeopardising June’s US-brokered ceasefire, and he urged the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop the attacks. The Israeli military said it struck infrastructure sites belonging to Hezbollah, as well as “several terrorists” transferring weapons, in retaliation for a drone attack on troops in an occupied area of the country.
A resident of Kfar Roummane, Sara Moallaem, 35, told the BBC she had been asleep with her five children when she heard explosions and said, “It is terrible,” as she prepared to move her family again. The BBC reported that the latest attacks targeted Kfar Roummane in Nabatieh district, only a few hundred metres from what the Israeli military calls its “security zone.”
Ceasefire risk and child harm
The UN chief warned that Israeli strikes affecting hospitals, healthcare workers and public institutions, along with restrictions on humanitarian access, were among his particular alarms as the escalation continued in and around Nabatieh. Euronews reported that about 800 children were killed during Lebanon’s wars in 2024 and 2026, and said the toll remains at risk of rising as Israeli attacks continue. Euronews said the Lebanese Ministry of Health announced 11 deaths after warplanes targeted a residential building in Kafraya, Nabatieh Governorate, and that eight others were injured, including three children and an accident responder from the health authority.
Euronews also cited MP Aania Az-Din, who said that about 360,000 children were displaced out of roughly 1.2 million people forced to leave their homes during the wars. The UN chief reiterated “the need for full respect for international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians, healthcare and civilian infrastructure,” stressing that humanitarian access must be maintained.