UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's representative here warned Israel and Lebanon Thursday to step back from launching a fresh border conflict, after a shooting incident and an air raid by the Jewish state.
The escalating attacks come despite signs Israel and Lebanon's Shia movement Hezbollah could be on the verge of an agreement on a final prisoner exchange and after a month of calm.
"I want to emphasise with more strength the seriousness with which we view this situation," said the envoy, Staffan de Mistura. "I'm calling on all parties to exercise the maximum restraint. We have to stop this dangerous escalation. We're appealing to the parties to stop there and not to go further."