The foreign ministers of 18 European countries called on Israel and the Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah to stop the fighting in a joint statement on Thursday.. They also expressed their dismay at the dramatic situation in Lebanon, TASR writes, according to an AFP report.
“Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks must stop,” the heads of diplomacy said. “We urge Israel to fully respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and call on all parties – Hezbollah and Israel – to cease military action,” the ministers claim.
In addition, they called for an end to “unjustified and unacceptable” attacks on civilian targets, such as medical or humanitarian workers and journalists. In their statement, the ministers pledged to continue providing humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people. According to them, the international community should mobilize even more to help Lebanon.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Kac announced this week that after the end of the current war against Hezbollah, the army plans to establish a new security zone in southern Lebanon and occupy the territory of the country up to the Litani River. On Thursday, European countries strongly urged Israel to conduct direct negotiations with Lebanese officials. The government’s reform efforts must be “supported, not undermined”.
“Efforts to promote stabilization in Lebanon are critical to lasting peace and security in the Middle East. De-escalation is urgently needed. Diplomacy must prevail,” they stated. This joint statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Austria, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Italy.
Lebanon has been subjected to daily Israeli attacks since March 2when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in response to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to the Lebanese authorities, this conflict has claimed more than 1,300 lives and displaced over a million people.
