Borrell calls from Beirut for an “immediate ceasefire” between Israel and Hezbollah

The head of diplomacy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, called this Sunday, November 24 in Beirut for a “immediate ceasefire” in the war between Israel and Hezbollah, while the Lebanese movement fired 250 projectiles towards Israeli territory.

The day after a day of particularly deadly Israeli bombings in Lebanon, which mainly targeted the heart of Beirut, Hezbollah announced on Sunday several drone and missile attacks against targets and military bases in the Tel Aviv region and in the southern Israel.

For its part, the Lebanese army, which is not involved in this war, announced that one of its soldiers had been killed and 18 wounded in an Israeli attack on their position in southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold. bordering northern Israel.

“We see only one possible path: an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701”said Josep Borrell after his talks with Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Head of Parliament Nabih Berri.

Resolution 1701, which ended the previous war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, stipulates that only the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers be deployed on Lebanon’s southern border. This implies a withdrawal of Hezbollah, but also that of Israeli soldiers who have been carrying out a ground offensive there since September 30.

“We must put pressure on the Israeli government”

Israel says it wants to put Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas, allies of Iran, its enemy, out of harm’s way. He vowed to destroy Hamas after the unprecedented attack of this Islamist movement on its soil on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza, and seeks to stop Hezbollah’s rocket fire on its territory.

On October 8, 2023, Hezbollah opened a “support front” to its Palestinian ally, target of an Israeli retaliatory offensive in Gaza.

After a year of cross-border violence and after having weakened Hamas in Gaza, Israel moved the heart of its operations to Lebanon by launching an intense bombing campaign from September 23 on Hezbollah strongholds.

“We must put pressure on the Israeli government and maintain pressure on Hezbollah so that they accept the American ceasefire proposal”said Mr. Borrell, stressing that the EU was ready to provide 200 million euros to help strengthen the Lebanese army.

The 13-point proposal, calling for a 60-day truce and army deployment in southern Lebanon, was discussed by US envoy Amos Hochstein who shuttled earlier this week between Lebanon and Israel.

But no results were announced and the pace of Israeli strikes, mainly against Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon, accelerated after his mission.

“In September I came and I still hoped that we could prevent an open war by Israel against Lebanon. Two months later, Lebanon is on the verge of collapse »added Josep Borrell.