UNICEF head laments Lebanon children victims, fails to name 'Israel'
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The number of casualties from the Israeli aggression on the Southern Suburb of Beirut has risen to 37, including children and women, with 16 still reported missing.
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People attend the funeral ceremony of Fatima Abdallah, who died in an Israeli pager attack at Sar'een al-Faouqa district of Bekaa, Lebanon on September 18, 2024 (Anadolu)
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell voiced worry about the deaths of children in recent Israeli assaults in Lebanon.
"Horrified by reports of at least 5 children killed and several injured in attacks this week in Lebanon," Catherine Russell posted on X.
Horrified by reports of at least 5 children killed and several injured in attacks this week in #Lebanon.
— Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) September 21, 2024
In the past 11 months, at least 25 children have reportedly been killed and over 200 others reportedly injured.
She stated that at least 25 children were killed and more than 200 others were wounded in the last 11 months and urged the end of what she called "hostilities" that "put more children at risk of death, injury, and fear."
By using the term "hostilities", the UNICEF head completely sidelines the fact that "Israel" is the side that initiated the aggression, targeting a residential building in a densely-populated area during rush hour.
The number of casualties from the Israeli aggression on the Southern Suburb of Beirut has risen to 37, including children and women, announced the Public Health Emergency Operations Center, affiliated with the Lebanese Ministry of Health, on Saturday.
In a statement, the Operations Center noted that "this toll is still subject to increase as rescue operations and debris removal continue," with 16 still reported missing.
Yesterday, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon confirmed the martyrdom of a number of its commanders and fighters following the Israeli aggression on Friday, including top Hezbollah commanders Ibrahim Mohammad Aqil and Ahmad Mahmoud Wehbe.
Funeral processions for the martyrs were held in various regions of Lebanon amid large crowds and chants denouncing "Israel" and the United States, while expressing support for the Resistance in Gaza and occupied Palestine.
Force of arms will not return Israelis to north: Lebanon FM tells UNSC
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib affirmed that Israeli settlers will not return to the northern settlements by force of arms, emphasizing that if "Israel" expands its aggression, more Israelis will be displaced as a direct result.
Addressing the UN Security Council, Bou Habib said that its approval of what happened in Lebanon means approval of opening “Pandora’s Box”, the Minister added, assuring that if the Israeli perpetrator is not held accountable or punished for the acts of terrorism it has committed, then the "credibility of this Council, international law, and the Charter of Human Rights will be at grave risk."
"It is now clear that Israel does not adhere to international law or humanitarian law, nor to resolutions issued by United Nations bodies. Israel has consistently ignored international legitimacy and human rights because it is used to not being held accountable, receiving only weak condemnations for its violations, which merely express regret," he stated.
The Minister urged the Security Council to not only condemn the Israeli occupation but to "stand on the right side of history" and compel "Israel" to halt all aggressions before it expands the scope of the war, which "will not spare the East nor the West."
This comes after a UNSC session was convened to address the recent terrorist attacks targeting Lebanese citizens across the country after "Israel" booby-trapped widely utilized pagers and transceivers and detonated them, killing and injuring dozens of people, including women, children, and elderly.
