UN envoy says 'Lebanon is a shadow of its former self' since Israeli invasion

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaer, the U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon, issued a scathing statement Monday, saying that the humanitarian impact in southern Lebanon as Israel trades fire with Hezbollah has reached devastating levels.

The envoy detailed the three U.N. peacekeepers and nine Lebanese paramedics killed in just the last few days as a snapshot of the death toll that now stands at more than 1,240.

“One thing is clear: the longer this goes on, the harder it will be to come back from,” Hennis-Plasschaer said. “As maximalist rhetoric abounds, the prospect of a negotiated settlement is a daunting one. But we must start somewhere.”

She added that while “tactical military gains may produce short-term wins, on and off the battlefield,” they do risk “long-term damage to the stability and prosperity both Lebanese and Israelis deserve.”