Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Union condemned Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday and urged Israel to respect a ceasefire with the militant group Hezbollah.
Israel carried out new attacks in southern Lebanon. It claimed these strikes were aimed at the militant organisation and accused Hezbollah of rearming.
“The EU calls on Israel to cease all actions that violate resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement reached a year ago in November 2024,”
the EU’s foreign affairs spokesman Anouar El Anouni stated, AFP reported.
“At the same time, we urge all Lebanese actors and especially Hezbollah to refrain from any measures or responses that could further inflame the situation,”
he also said.
“Focus by all parties must be on preserving the ceasefire and the progress achieved so far.”
The Israeli army had previously told residents of four villages to evacuate buildings, warning that it planned to target Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.
How does Israel justify its military actions in southern Lebanon?
Israeli jets hit several towns in southern Lebanon on Thursday after telling residents to leave. The airstrikes took place just hours after the militant group Hezbollah advised the Lebanese government against entering negotiations with Israel.
The Israeli military stated it targeted military infrastructure for Hezbollah in those sites, including
“weapons storage facilities… constructed in the center of civilian-populated areas.”
“We will not allow Hezbollah to rearm themselves, to recover, build back up its strength to threaten the state of Israel,”
Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian said at a briefing Thursday.
How has President Joseph Aoun responded to Israel’s attacks?
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun said the strikes broke international humanitarian law by hitting civilians and forcing them to leave their homes. He called the action a
“fully fledged crime.”
“The more Lebanon expresses its openness to the path of peaceful negotiation to resolve outstanding issues with Israel, the more Israel intensifies its aggression against Lebanese sovereignty,”
Aoun said.
The Lebanese army has frequently accused Israel of trying to
“undermine Lebanon’s stability” with Thursday’s strikes and of “preventing the completion of the army’s deployment”
as agreed in the ceasefire.
How is the EU addressing Israel’s continued breaches of Lebanese sovereignty?
A few weeks ago, the European Union also condemned Israel’s attack on a UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon. They urged all parties to respect the ceasefire and called on Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory.
In a statement, the EU said the Israeli strike on Oct. 26 targeted a detachment of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). This marked the latest in a series of similar incidents in recent weeks. The bloc stated that the safety and security of UN personnel and facilities must be protected according to international law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
