Lebanon and Israel tell UNIFIL they 'do not want a war'

Lebanon and Israel "said they do not want war," the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Friday.

The U.N. peacekeepers -- deployed in southern Lebanon to buffer the two sides -- called on "all parties to cease all actions" on both sides of the border after the Israeli army launched strikes Friday at dawn following the firing of rockets into Israel from Lebanese territory.

UNIFIL's Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Aroldo Lázaro, is "speaking with authorities on both sides of the Blue Line," a UNIFIL statement said.

"Our liaison and coordination mechanisms are fully engaged," Lázaro added, warning that "the actions over the past day are dangerous and risk a serious escalation."