United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Michael Williams on Friday played down the risk of renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, but urged the two sides to refrain from further inflammatory words.

Williams said that he briefed the UN Security Council "on the recent rise in rhetoric and public threats between Israel and Lebanon, which have generated concerns of a renewed confrontation."

"This public rhetoric and brinkmanship contravenes the spirit of [UN Security Council] Resolution 1701 and is utterly unhelpful," he noted.

Williams said that in his private talks with Israeli and Lebanese officials, both sides, in contrast to some of their public utterances, "continue to express their commitment to the prevailing cessation of hostilities and to the full implementation of Resolution 1701."

"I believe that it is these private statements, rather than the public rhetoric, that convey their true intentions and I have called on all relevant parties to desist from inflammatory statements," he added.

Israeli officials have warned that any attack by Hezbollah would spark a tough response against Lebanon as a whole, and they have also been locked in a war of words with Syria—a main supporter of Hezbollah.

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah vowed in February to strike Israel’s infrastructure, including its airport, should Israel attack Lebanon. 

-AFP/NOW Lebanon