Capitals (Union, Agencies)
UN and international warnings have continued regarding the danger of military escalation between Israel and Lebanon following the most violent Israeli air strikes targeting sites in the southern suburbs of Beirut and southern Lebanon.
Yesterday, Lebanon announced the killing of 14 people and the injury of 66 others, including 9 in critical condition, and a number of children and women, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, in an Israeli air strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The Israeli army said in a statement that it had assassinated a senior Hezbollah military official in the raid.
He also said that he targeted hundreds of rocket launchers that were prepared to launch towards Israel in southern Lebanon.
Security sources in Lebanon said the strikes were the most violent since the start of combat operations last October.
In turn, the Israeli army monitored the launch of more than 150 rockets from Lebanon towards the northern settlements, which caused fires and injured one person, while 4 firefighting planes contributed to the operations to control the fire centers.
This comes as the White House said in a statement yesterday that Washington “did not receive” prior notice from Israel regarding the raid on the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The White House added: “We still believe that a diplomatic solution in the Middle East is the best path,” advising Americans not to travel to Lebanon.
US President Joe Biden confirmed yesterday that he is working to enable residents to return to their homes in the border areas of southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
Biden told reporters at the start of the meeting that he “wants to make sure that people in northern Israel, as well as southern Lebanon, are able to return to their homes, and return safely.”
“The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, and our entire team are working with the intelligence community to try to get this done. We will continue to work until we get it done, but we have a long way to go,” he said.
The night before yesterday, the United States confirmed that it would not support any Israeli ground offensive operation in Gaza or in the north, and that President Joe Biden was clear about not sending any American forces to the besieged Strip.
Pentagon Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters during a press conference at the ministry’s headquarters that “when Washington established a sea corridor to provide aid to the people of Gaza, there were no forces on the ground to do so.”
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) yesterday urged immediate de-escalation after a significant increase in hostilities on the Lebanese-Israeli border.
UNIFIL said that “the past 12 hours have witnessed a significant escalation in hostilities across the Blue Line and throughout its area of operations.”
“We are concerned by the increasing escalation across the Blue Line and urge all parties concerned to de-escalate immediately,” UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said.
The Blue Line marks the border between Lebanon and Israel.
In turn, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that the diplomatic track is present in Lebanon, stressing that “no one has an interest in escalation.”
Macron said in a video clip directed to the Lebanese via the social networking site “X”: “War is not inevitable… nor is it a regional adventure, nor is any party in a special interest in provoking a conflict in Lebanon.”
He said, “The diplomatic path exists and is a demand and the path that France wants to follow for Lebanon.”
Macron said, “In times of confusion and sadness, hope is a rare commodity, and under these circumstances, I affirm my country’s support for Lebanon.”
In this context, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that there is still a chance to prevent the escalation of tension in the Middle East.
Tajani said in press statements yesterday: “I believe that there is still a chance to prevent the escalation of tension in the region. We need to convince Israel and Lebanon to reduce tension. All parties must prevent the escalation of tension.”
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