Pointing to two recent incidents affecting UN peacekeepers, Dujarric affirmed that no UN personnel were injured as they took shelter elsewhere.
Asked whether the presence of Israeli troops inside Lebanese territory constitutes occupation, Dujarric refrained from characterising it as such.
“Look, there are clearly Israeli troops in Lebanon, and that’s a fact that the Israelis themselves admit,” he said.
Dujarric stressed the need for all parties to respect existing agreements and work toward restoring stability.
“The point is that there are agreements, and they need to be respected. We want to see the guns silenced. We want to see the population of South Lebanon being able to return to their homes in peace and security. We want to see the people in northern Israel being able to return to their homes in peace and security,” he said.
Israel has continued attacks in Lebanon in violation of a US-mediated ceasefire that took effect April 17 and was later extended until early July.
At least 3,468 people have been killed and 10,577 injured in Israeli attacks since March 2, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
The attacks have displaced more than 1 million people and caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure, including schools, health care facilities, mosques and churches.
Israel recently asked its forces to expand its offensive in Lebanon, but US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Israeli forces would not move on Beirut after a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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