UN reports highest number of airspace violations in Lebanon since April ceasefire

The UN said Tuesday that peacekeepers in southern Lebanon recorded the highest number of airspace violations since a ceasefire took effect in April, amid escalating hostilities.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said during a news conference that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) observed "extensive Israeli military activity, as well as a non-state armed group, presumably Hezbollah, attacks on Israeli forces" since Friday.

"Despite the cessation of hostilities, yesterday, UNIFIL detected 91 airspace violations, the highest number since the cessation of hostilities came into effect on the 17th of April," said Haq.

He noted that "UNIFIL reported 399 firing incidents attributed to the Israeli Defense Forces, and 11 trajectories of projectiles attributed to Hezbollah" on Monday.

According to Haq, UNIFIL observed high-density Israeli forces "armored movements, large-scale engineering works, sustained logistical traffic, and persistent artillery shelling, mortar fire, and rocket impacts" across its area of operations during the weekend.

Turning to the humanitarian situation, Haq said that "nearly 1 million people are still displaced within Lebanon."

He added that families displaced by intensified Israeli airstrikes were seen spending the night in vehicles in Beirut, while shelters in the capital reported dozens of families seeking refuge in the past two days.