Middle East, Lebanon & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (10 June 2026）| United Nations

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: Secretary-General/Middle East United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Lebanon Occupied Palestinian Territory Yemen/Detainees Yemen/Special Envoy Afghanistan Sudan Central African Republic Mali Democratic Republic of the Congo Dialogue among Civilizations Refugees/Exhibit SECRETARY-GENERAL/MIDDLE EAST This morning, the Secretary-General warned the Security Council this morning that the Middle East is being pulled deeper into crisis – and the consequences reach far beyond the region. This week has brought wider attacks and further deterioration, he said. Mr. Guterres said that he is profoundly concerned it could trigger a full resumption of conflict. He said that the ceasefire is more like a lesser-fire – as we have seen with the escalating attacks and rhetoric over the last 48 hours. We should not minimize the risks of lesser fire becoming full fire – in other words, full-scale war. The world needs to see a complete ceasefire, the Secretary-General said, with navigational rights and freedoms restored, in line with international law and Security Council resolution 2817, and serious negotiations on the nuclear issues –ensuring that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. On Lebanon, he warned that since March, we have witnessed a serious escalation –as Israel intensified its operations in Lebanese territory and Hizbullah fired deeper into Israel. All parties must work towards a diplomatic settlement that fully respects the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence of Lebanon within its internationally recognized borders – in line with Security Council resolution 1701, he said. And he urged a continued UN uniformed presence following the departure of UN Interim Force in Lebanon(UNIFIL). He added that the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem – is rapidly deteriorating. Despite the ceasefire announced eight months ago, Gaza still faces profound uncertainty and immense human suffering. The Secretary-General urged all parties to implement in full and without delay the Comprehensive Plan facilitated by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye. UNITED NATIONS INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON Yesterday, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continued to report intensive and widespread Israel Defense Forces (IDF) air and ground activity across and just north of its area of operations. UNIFIL recorded at least 15 IDF airstrikes involving fighter aircraft, helicopters, and drones. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, airstrikes targeting Tyre yesterday killed at least 11 people and injured 44 others. Yesterday, UNIFIL detected 80 violations of Lebanese airspace by the Israel Defense Forces, amounting to more than 126 hours of overflight. UNIFIL also recorded a total of 447 projectile trajectories, of which 442 originated from IDF positions. The remaining five trajectories were allegedly fired by Hizbullah. Peacekeepers continue to be directly affected by ongoing hostilities. Yesterday, UNIFIL personnel at a checkpoint west of Kleyaa in Sector East witnessed intense ground combat in close proximity to their position. Armed individuals were observed firing AK-47s and a light machine gun from a residential building adjacent to the checkpoint. The same UNIFIL position was exposed to significant risk throughout the day, including 24 artillery impacts landing as close as 300 to 400 metres, three suicide drone detonations nearby, and an airstrike in the vicinity. Peacekeepers were forced to take shelter. While no personnel were injured, the facility sustained damage, including cracked walls and shattered windows. We reiterate that UN premises and personnel must be respected and protected at all times and must never be targeted under any circumstances. In a separate incident, UNIFIL discovered a grenade and a drone near the main gate of a position near Marjayoun in Sector East. The area was secured, and a UNIFIL explosive ordnance disposal team safely neutralized both devices. Working in coordination with OCHA, UNIFIL’s Liaison branch facilitated the deconfliction of six planned humanitarian missions to the Tyre area in Sector West yesterday. However, all were subsequently cancelled following new displacement orders issued by the IDF affecting Tyre and surrounding areas. This underscores the increasingly constrained humanitarian space and the growing impact on civilians. Continued displacement orders are forcing people to flee while disrupting the delivery of life-saving assistance. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon...