World leaders expressed alarm Tuesday over the prospect of a wider battle after Lebanon suffered its deadliest day in 20 years after Israeli air strikes on Hezbollah strongholds.
After almost a yr of cross-border fireplace because the Gaza battle erupted, Israeli bombardment on Monday killed 558 individuals in Lebanon, together with 50 kids, based on the nation’s well being ministry.
The toll, the very best since Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah went to battle in mid-2006, raised fears of an all-out battle engulfing the Center East.
– ‘Nonstop nightmare’: UN –
“Lebanon is on the brink,” UN Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres mentioned earlier than the United Nations Normal Meeting in New York.
“Gaza is a nonstop nightmare that threatens to take all the area with it,” he mentioned, calling for an instantaneous ceasefire within the Palestinian territories. “Look no additional than Lebanon.”
Guterres is “gravely alarmed by the escalating scenario… and the massive variety of civilian casualties, together with kids and ladies”, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric mentioned.
“Tens of hundreds of individuals had been compelled from their properties yesterday and in a single day, and the numbers proceed to develop,” UN refugee company spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh mentioned in Geneva.
– ‘Spiral of violence’: US –
The USA, Israel’s closest ally, urged in opposition to any Israeli floor invasion concentrating on Hezbollah.
“We clearly don’t consider {that a} floor invasion of Lebanon goes to contribute to decreasing tensions within the area, to stopping an escalatory spiral of violence,” a senior US official mentioned Monday on situation of anonymity.
– ‘Full-fledged battle’: EU –
“We’re nearly in a full-fledged battle,” EU overseas affairs chief Josep Borrell mentioned Monday.
“We’re seeing extra navy strikes, extra injury, extra collateral injury, extra victims… Everyone has to place all their capability to cease this,” he mentioned.
– ‘One other Gaza’: Iran –
“We should not permit Lebanon to change into one other Gaza by the hands of Israel,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian instructed CNN when requested if Tehran would use its affect with Hezbollah to induce restraint.
“Hezbollah can not stand alone in opposition to a rustic that’s being defended and supported and provided by Western international locations, by European international locations and the US,” he mentioned.
– ‘Assaults in opposition to civilians’: China –
China’s prime diplomat Wang Yi mentioned: “We pay shut consideration to developments within the area, particularly the latest explosion of communications gear in Lebanon, and firmly oppose indiscriminate assaults in opposition to civilians.”
Later Tuesday, overseas ministry spokesman Lin Jian mentioned Beijing was “deeply shocked by the related navy actions which have prompted a lot of casualties”.
– ‘Battle crimes’: OIC –
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which is headquartered within the Saudi metropolis of Jeddah, denounced the strikes as “an extension of ongoing Israeli battle crimes and a violation of worldwide legislation” and UN resolutions.
The OIC mentioned it held Israel “absolutely answerable for this harmful escalation, which threatens the safety and stability of all the area”.
– ‘Israeli escalation’: Jordan –
Jordan’s King Abdullah II known as on the worldwide group to take motion to cease the “hazard of Israeli escalation” in Lebanon and “defend harmless civilians… earlier than the area is dragged right into a complete regional battle”.
In a cellphone name with the Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, the king mentioned that “stopping the escalation within the area begins with an instantaneous finish to the battle on Gaza”, based on a palace assertion.
– ‘Brink of the abyss’: Qatar –
In an announcement Tuesday, Qatar “condemned within the strongest phrases the Israeli aggression on Lebanon”.
A key mediator in talks on reaching a Gaza truce, Qatar mentioned the escalation “places the area on the point of the abyss and exposes it to extra tensions”.
– ‘Full destabilisation’: Russia –
Russia known as the strikes “an occasion that’s probably very harmful”, risking the growth of the battle and “full destabilisation of the area”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned.
“In fact that causes us excessive concern and fear,” Peskov mentioned.
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