On Tuesday, October 1, the Israeli army launched ground raids against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. The day before, the foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) had called on Israel to exercise restraint.
On Monday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced to local council leaders in northern Israel that a next phase of the war would soon begin and would aim to bring home Israelis who fled the rockets Hezbollah over the past year.
In recent days, Israeli airstrikes have eliminated several Hezbollah commanders, including the organization’s leader Hassan Nasrallah, but they have also driven a million people from their homes, according to the Lebanese government.
In the past 24 hours, at least 95 people were reported killed and 172 injured by Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s southern regions, the Bekaa Valley and Beirut, the Lebanese Health Ministry said Tuesday morning.
In total, more than 1,000 people have been killed since the start of the military escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in mid-September, according to Lebanese authorities.
Israel has promised to fight its “enemies” and to ” eliminate “ wherever they are.
The West calls for restraint
On Monday, after an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers, the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell declared that any new Israeli military intervention in Lebanon must “ be avoided.”
“The sovereignty of Israel and Lebanon must be guaranteed. Any new military intervention will worsen the situation dramatically,” affirmed Josep Borrell in a brief speech broadcast from Mexico.
The 27, very divided on the attitude to adopt regarding the Israeli attacks against Gaza and Lebanon, have until now remained powerless to stop the violence in the Middle East.
Josep Borrell deplored Friday evening at the UN that ” person “, not even the United States can “stop” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
US President Joe Biden and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have also opposed the ground invasion of Lebanon.
Monday September 30, Joe Biden again called for a ceasefire.
“I’m more worried than you think and I agree that they should stop,” Joe Biden responded to reporters who asked if he supported Israeli plans to enter Lebanon. “We should have a ceasefire now. »
Israel last week rejected a proposal from the United States and France calling for a 21-day ceasefire on the Lebanese border, in order to reach a diplomatic agreement that would allow civilians on both sides of the border to return home.
[Édité par Anna Martino]
