Israel launches more attacks as Lebanon reels from air strikes that killed close to 500 people, including children.
World leaders are sounding the alarm about a “full-fledged” war, calling for de-escalation after devastating Israeli air strikes in Lebanon ratcheted regional tensions amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
The attacks, which started on Monday and continued into Tuesday, were Israel’s fiercest against its northern neighbour and have led to Lebanon’s highest single-day death toll since the end of the 1975-90 civil war.
On Tuesday, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health said the Israeli strikes killed 558 people, including 50 children and 94 women. Health Minister Firass Abiad told a press conference in Beirut that at least 1,835 people were wounded, and 54 hospitals are treating patients.
Here are some reactions:
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “gravely alarmed by the escalating situation along the Blue Line”, referring to the demarcation line dividing Lebanon from Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, as well as “the large number of civilian casualties”.
His spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said the UN chief also “expresses great concern for the safety of civilians, both in southern Lebanon and in northern Israel as well as the UN staff there in those areas”.
UNICEF head Catherine Russell highlighted the “dangerous escalation” that threatens “countless” children.
“Alarming levels of psychological distress” have also been reported among children due to displacement and from the barrage of shelling and air raids, she said, calling for an immediate de-escalation.
“We know more than anyone else that if a larger war were to erupt in the Middle East, it will not benefit anyone throughout the world,” he said.
In an interview to CNN, the president said: “We must not allow for Lebanon to become another Gaza at the hands of Israel.”
“Hezbollah cannot stand alone against a country that is being defended and supported and supplied by Western countries – European countries, and the United States of America,” he told the broadcaster.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Israel’s strikes “insane” and said they would carry “dangerous consequences”.
United Nations
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi urged for a global response to de-escalate the conflict, accusing Israel of “aggression”.
Egypt, which is a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, has repeatedly warned against a regional escalation, which it said “threatens to drag the region into a comprehensive regional war”.
Expressing “solidarity” with Lebanon, Egypt said it “continues its efforts towards a ceasefire in Gaza”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s aggression “in the strongest terms”.
“[The] continued escalation is primarily due to the absence of any deterrent to Israel’s actions, its continued repeated violations of international law, and its continued impunity,” it said in a statement.
“This reality exacerbates crises, puts the region on the brink of the abyss, and exposes it to more tensions that will have a profound impact regionally and internationally,” it added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was following the developments in Lebanon with “great concern” and urged “all parties to exercise the utmost restraint”.
It emphasised the “importance of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty” while calling on the international community to play a role in de-escalating the region.
The Gulf country expressed “deep concern” and reiterated its stance against “violence, escalation, uncalculated actions and reactions that disregard laws governing state relations and sovereignty”, state media reported.
The US, which has sent Israel billions of dollars in weapons since the Gaza war broke out while also pushing a strained Israel-Hezbollah mediation drive, still held out hope that two parties could step back from the brink of war.
“My team is in constant contact with their counterparts, and we’re working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return home safely,” said President Joe Biden, who met UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the White House.
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