World Oceans Day, Lebanon/Israel & other topics- Daily Press Briefing (8 June 2026) | United Nations

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Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: World Oceans day Lebanon/Israel Lebanon/Humanitarian Occupied Palestinian Territory Senior Personnnel Appointments/UNHCR Haiti Trip Announcement Memorial Service Security Council Ukraine Sudan Democratic Republic of the Congo Philippines Cuba Guests WORLD OCEANS DAY Today is World Oceans Day. In a message for the Day, the Secretary-General noted that in these turbulent times, the ocean reminds us that we are bound together. But the ocean is in deep trouble, he said, and we are pushing it past its limits. The Secretary-General stressed that we cannot keep treating the ocean as limitless. He emphasized that we must build a new relationship with the ocean: grounded in science, framed by international law, and built on shared responsibility to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. His message was shared with you. LEBANON/ISRAEL We are alarmed by the overnight escalation, including renewed strikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut yesterday and reported Hizbullah strikes into northern Israel. We urge all actors to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from any action that could further inflame an already volatile situation. We urge all parties to fully abide by the ceasefire jointly announced by Lebanon, Israel and the United States last week, and to avoid any steps that could undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve a durable peace. We note with concern the devastating impact the ongoing hostilities are having on civilians. We reiterate that civilians and civilian infrastructures must not be targeted. We call on all actors to uphold their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law. Over the weekend, from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 June, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) observed a high tempo of military activity across its area of operations, including 201 violations of Lebanese airspace by the IDF — including by helicopters and fighter aircrafts — totalin