EU calls for immediate ceasefire in Lebanon

On October 28, the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Mr. Josep Borrell, once again called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Lebanon, and condemned “unacceptable attacks” from Israel on the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNIFIL) when it conducted military operations against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

Speaking at a forum in Barcelona, ​​Spain, Mr. Borrell emphasized that the EU calls for an “immediate ceasefire” across the Green Line that demarcates the border between Lebanon and Israel, and respects relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, such as the 2006 resolution that helped end the war between Israel and Hezbollah at that time, which stated that “only UN peacekeeping forces and the Lebanese army should be deployed in southern Lebanon.”

Within the framework of the above forum, the EU representative also criticized the Israeli airstrikes targeting UNIFIL facilities and personnel.

Referring to the United Nations warning that the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is the worst since World War II, Mr. Borrell stressed that this forum of leaders from the Mediterranean region must take stronger action instead of “just expressing concern.”

He said the way Israel carried out its military operations in Gaza, including targeting civilians, raised serious concerns and left “too many unanswered questions.”

According to health authorities in the Gaza Strip, at least 43,020 people have died since the conflict broke out more than a year ago between the Hamas Islamist movement and Israel in this Palestinian territory.

Regarding the situation in Lebanon, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said that on October 28, an Israeli airstrike on a building in the city center of Tyre killed 7 people and injured 17 others.

Shortly afterwards, the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for several areas in the southern coastal city, warning that it would attack Hezbollah-linked targets there.

In a post on social network X, Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted a map of the areas Israel is targeting in Tyre, and asked Lebanese people to “head north.”

On the same day, Hezbollah announced that its fighters had targeted “with a barrage of missiles” Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.

Earlier, the force also announced four rocket and artillery strikes on Israeli troops at the closed Fatima border crossing in the nearby Lebanese village of Kfar Kila.