Beirut (Agencies)
Diplomatic efforts are intensifying to contain the escalation in Lebanon and spare the region a comprehensive war, in light of the continued Israeli targeting of the southern suburbs of Beirut, after a large-scale bombing that left more than 550 dead last Monday.
French presidential envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian stressed that his country supports Lebanon and stands by it in all circumstances. According to the National News Agency, this came during Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s meeting with envoy Le Drian yesterday at the Grand Serail.
Le Drian considered that “the Prime Minister’s visit to New York at this critical time is a very important matter,” hoping that diplomatic contacts would lead to a solution that would stop the cycle of violence.
France also called for an emergency Security Council meeting on Lebanon this week.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati decided yesterday to head to New York after cancelling his previous visit, as part of intensifying Lebanese diplomatic activity and making more contacts following recent developments and the most violent Israeli escalation against his country.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that “Lebanon is on the brink of the abyss” as military escalation between the Israeli army and Hezbollah continues. Guterres told the leaders of 193 countries gathered in New York that Gaza is a permanent nightmare that threatens to drag the entire region into chaos, starting with Lebanon, adding, “We should all be concerned about this escalation. Lebanon is on the brink.”
Yesterday, a new Israeli strike targeted the southern suburb of Beirut, destroying two floors of a building located in a crowded area. The Lebanese authorities reported in a preliminary toll that 6 people were killed in the air strike.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad announced yesterday that the death toll from Israeli raids on southern and eastern Lebanon on Monday had risen to 558, most of them unarmed civilians, and more than 1,800 wounded, the highest toll recorded in a single day since the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Arab and international reactions followed, calling for containing the escalation in Lebanon and sparing the region from a comprehensive war, after a bloody day witnessed by Lebanon following unprecedented Israeli raids that targeted parts of Lebanon.
Saudi Arabia renewed its warning of the danger of the expansion of violence in the region, and the serious repercussions of the escalation on the security and stability of the region. Kuwait also warned of the consequences of the increasing escalation and the expansion of the war, calling for a serious and strict stance towards the crimes committed against innocent civilians.
Egypt also condemned, in a statement by the Foreign Ministry, “the dangerous Israeli escalation in Lebanon and the extensive military operations,” expressing its solidarity with Lebanon and its people. In a related context, King Abdullah II affirmed Jordan’s absolute support for Lebanon, its security, sovereignty and the safety of its citizens in the face of the Israeli war on it, stressing the need for concerted international efforts to stop it before the region is dragged into a comprehensive regional war. Qatar warned against the widening circle of violence in the region and its slide into a comprehensive regional war, in light of the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.
Internationally, the US President called for a diplomatic solution, warning against a comprehensive war that would not be in the interest of any party. Russia also warned against a complete destabilization of the Middle East as a result of the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah.
For his part, the British Prime Minister called for restraint and de-escalation on the border between Lebanon and Israel. China expressed its “deep shock” at the number of victims of the large-scale Israeli strikes in Lebanon last Monday.
#Intensive #diplomatic #efforts #escalation #Lebanon