On Sunday 22 September, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, underlined that the EU is extremely concerned by the escalation of tensions between Israel and Lebanon, calling for a ceasefire.
As Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon continued on Monday 23 September, the day before, in a statement, Mr Borrell highlighted Friday’s “attacks” in Beirut, the rise in cross-border violence between Israel and Hezbollah and the “heavy attacks” reported on Sunday in both Israel and Lebanon. “A ceasefire is urgent, across the Blue Line as in Gaza”, he stressed.
The High Representative recalled that civilians on both sides were paying a heavy price. “They will also be the ones suffering once again the most in a full-blown war that must be averted, including by renewed intense diplomatic mediation efforts”, he added, adding that this would be one of the main issues on the agenda of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this week in New York.
According to Peter Stano, spokesman for the European External Action Service, the subject was due to be discussed by European foreign ministers at their informal meeting on the fringes of the UNGA on Monday evening.
Mr Borrell also called once again for the “full and symmetrical” implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Israel announced on Monday that it had targeted more than 300 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon with dozens of strikes. According to the Lebanese authorities, these strikes left at least 270 people dead, including around twenty children, and hundreds injured.
For the Lebanese Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, “the continuing Israeli aggression on Lebanon is a war of extermination in every sense of the word and a destructive plan that aims to destroy Lebanese villages and towns”. In a statement, he called on “the United Nations and its General Assembly, as well as influential countries (...) to deter the (Israeli) aggression”.
The day before, UN Secretary-General António Guterres had expressed concern on CNN about “the possibility of Lebanon turning into another Gaza”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)