CAIRO 

Bahrain on Saturday urged the UN Security Council to issue a cease-fire resolution in southern Lebanon. 

It "has monitored the developments and military escalation on the Lebanese-Israeli border,” the Foreign Ministry said, according to the official Bahraini News Agency.

Bahrain expressed its concern about the escalation, it added.

The ministry emphasized "the necessity of avoiding military escalation and preventing the widening of the conflict in the region to preserve Lebanon's security, while seeking to achieve security, peace, and stability in the region."

Manama also urged "a cease-fire between the two sides and resorting to peaceful solutions through negotiation to preserve the lives of the civilian population and ensure the security and stability of the region."

The kingdom called on "the UN Security Council to urgently intervene, give the military clashes on the Lebanese-Israeli border the attention they deserve, and issue an immediate cease-fire resolution to prevent the conflict from escalating."

It also warned of "serious repercussions on regional and international security and stability if the conflict expands."

Tensions have soared along Lebanon's border with Israel amid cross-border attacks between the Lebanese group Hezbollah and Israeli forces as Tel Aviv pressed ahead with its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 37,800 people since last Oct. 7.

Hezbollah has linked the cessation of its attacks on Israel to the end of Tel Aviv’s onslaught on Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi