Lebanon Pager Blasts Could Be Preemptive Strike Before Major Military Operation - UN Chief
20240918
UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that the pager detonations in Lebanon could be a preemptive action ahead of a major military operation which has to be avoided at all costs.
"Obviously, the logic of making all these devices explode is to do it as a preemptive strike before a major military operation. So as important as the event in itself is, the indication that this event confirms that there is a serious risk of a dramatic escalation in Lebanon, and everything must be done to avoid that escalation." Guterres told journalists in a press briefing.
Guterres added that civilian objects should not be weaponized as was the case yesterday with thousands of pagers exploding in Lebanon.
"I think it's very important that there is an effective control of civilian objects, not to weaponize civilian objects," he said. "That should be a rule everywhere in the world that governments should be able to implement."
On Tuesday, several thousand pagers detonated in different parts of Lebanon. The pagers were used by members of the Hezbollah movement but also by others and their weaponization into explosive devices has been attributed to Israel, according to media reports.
The Lebanese authorities said 11 people have died and some 2,800 have been injured by the detonation of the pagers.
© Sputnik
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