UN Emergency Meeting After Israeli Strikes in Beirut and Deadly Explosions in Lebanon
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency session on Friday following Israeli airstrikes on Beirut and southern Lebanon, which resulted in at least a dozen deaths. The strikes, part of escalating cross-border conflict between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, included an attack in southern Beirut that killed senior Hezbollah military figure Ibrahim Aqil and caused significant damage, collapsing two residential buildings.
UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned that the region is now ‘on the brink of a catastrophe.’ Meanwhile, Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed his disappointment over recent explosions of communication devices in Lebanon. He stated, ‘I am appalled by the breadth and impact of the attacks on September 17-18 in Lebanon on civilians, where the explosion of pagers, two-way radios, and other electronic devices have reportedly killed at least 37 people, including two children, and injured more than 3,400 people in Lebanon alone, leaving many with permanent disabilities and healthcare facilities struggling to cope with the magnitude of the impact on people.’
Turk added that these attacks represent a new development in warfare, where communication tools become weapons, causing widespread fear and panic among people in Lebanon, who are already suffering from an economic crisis and instability since October 2023. The latest attacks on Wednesday resulted in at least 20 deaths and over 450 injuries, following a coordinated explosion of pagers that killed 12 people and wounded more than 2800 others the previous day.
Doubts Revealed
UN -: The UN stands for the United Nations. It is an organization where countries come together to talk about and solve world problems like wars, hunger, and climate change.
Emergency Meeting -: An emergency meeting is a quick gathering of important people to talk about something very serious that needs immediate attention.
Israeli Strikes -: Israeli strikes mean attacks carried out by Israel, which is a country in the Middle East.
Beirut -: Beirut is the capital city of Lebanon, a country in the Middle East.
Hezbollah -: Hezbollah is a group in Lebanon that has its own army and is involved in politics. Some countries consider it a terrorist group.
Ibrahim Aqil -: Ibrahim Aqil was a senior figure in Hezbollah, meaning he was an important leader in that group.
UN Spokesperson -: A UN Spokesperson is a person who talks to the public and the media on behalf of the United Nations.
Stephane Dujarric -: Stephane Dujarric is the name of the person who is currently the spokesperson for the United Nations.
Catastrophe -: A catastrophe is a very bad event that causes a lot of damage and suffering.
UN High Commissioner -: The UN High Commissioner is a high-ranking official in the United Nations who looks after specific issues, like human rights.
Volker Turk -: Volker Turk is the name of the person who is currently the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Explosions of communication devices -: Explosions of communication devices mean that things like phones or radios blew up, causing damage and hurting people.
Economic crisis -: An economic crisis is a time when a country has a lot of financial problems, like not enough money, jobs, or resources.
Instability -: Instability means that things are not steady or secure, and there is a lot of uncertainty and change.