UN Security Council to hold emergency Lebanon session Wednesday

NEW YORK

The UN Security Council (UNSC) will convene in an emergency session Wednesday to discuss escalating tensions in Lebanon for the second time in a week.

The Permanent Mission of Slovenia said the session will take place at 6 p.m. Eastern time (2200GMT).

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will deliver the opening address.

The session was requested by France.

The Security Council previously convened an emergency session Sept. 20 to discuss attacks using pager and radio devices, that were blamed on Israel.

The Israeli army launched waves of airstrikes in Lebanon since early Monday against what it called Hezbollah targets amid an escalation in warfare between the two sides.

More than 560 victims, including 95 women and 50 children, were killed and 1,835 injured, according to Health Minister Firas Abiad.

Writing by Servet Gunerigok in Washington