By Middle East Correspondent
LONDON, (The Muslim News): The United Nations warned Monday that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is rapidly deteriorating, with children bearing a heavy toll amid ongoing Israeli attacks despite a ceasefire.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at least 177 children have been killed and more than 700 injured since March 2, according to Lebanese authorities. Overall displacement has surged past 350,000 people, many of whom are living in overcrowded shelters with limited access to basic services.
Dujarric described the ceasefire as “fragile,” noting that UN peacekeepers continue to observe Israeli artillery fire and demolitions across several locations in southern Lebanon. He called on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and respect the truce, while also raising concerns about restrictions on peacekeepers’ movement that have hindered efforts to resupply positions along the Blue Line.
Meanwhile, tensions have been inflamed by widespread anger over the desecration of a religious symbol in southern Lebanon. Footage circulating online showed an Israeli soldier smashing a statue of Jesus Christ in the town of Debel, prompting condemnation from religious and political figures.
Lebanese priest Dany Darghem said the act violated “freedom of belief and the sanctity of what others hold sacred,” warning that such incidents undermine fundamental values of dignity, truth, and peace. “The real danger lies not in breaking stone but in undermining the values it represents,” he said.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar apologized for the incident, calling it “grave and disgraceful” and confirming that an investigation had been launched.
Christian leaders across the region also denounced the act. William Shomali described it as a “shameful and disgraceful act” and a violation of international humanitarian law, while stressing that the broader loss of civilian life in Lebanon remains the greater tragedy.
The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land issued a statement expressing “profound indignation” and calling for accountability, describing the incident as a grave affront to Christian values and part of a troubling pattern involving religious symbols.
The controversy comes amid continued violence on the ground. Lebanese media reported that six people were injured Monday in an Israeli airstrike on the town of Qaqqaiyat al-Jisr, despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced last week by Donald Trump following talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Since March 2, Israeli attacks have killed more than 2,200 people and wounded over 7,500, according to Lebanese authorities, with more than 1 million displaced.
The Lebanon conflict unfolds against a backdrop of wider regional tensions involving Iran and the United States. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said Tehran would not accept any terms beyond international law in its dealings with Washington, emphasizing that diplomacy remains the only viable path forward.
At the same time, the Pentagon reported that 415 US service members have been wounded and 13 killed since the start of Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The escalation follows joint US-Israeli illegal strikes on Iran in late February and retaliatory attacks by Tehran, with a separate ceasefire mediated by Pakistan taking effect earlier this month.
[An infographic titled “Israel repeats Gaza-style destruction in southern Lebanon” created in Istanbul, Turkiye on April 20, 2026. Photojournalist: Ufuk Celal Güzel/AA]
