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Confrontations continue on the Lebanese-Israeli border with exchanges of shelling and gunfire, as the sounds of raids drown out the calls of the international community for immediate calm to prevent escalation that threatens the outbreak of a comprehensive war between the two sides, which has led the region to tension for years.
Despite pledges by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold talks on a ceasefire, operations on the ground did not stop, as Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz yesterday rejected global calls for a ceasefire with Lebanon.
Israeli air strikes continued, killing hundreds in Lebanon. On the other hand, missiles were launched from Lebanon today at Kiryat Ata in Israel, near the city of Haifa, about 30 kilometers from the border.
Israeli air defenses shot down many missiles, limiting the damage, but the Lebanese attacks disrupted normal life in most parts of northern Israel, with more areas falling within their range of fire.
The United Nations International Organization for Migration reported that more than 90,000 people in Lebanon were displaced from their homes this week, in addition to 111,000 already displaced by the conflict.
Yesterday, the UAE issued a statement with the participation of the United States, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Australia, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom regarding the situation between Lebanon and Israel, as the statement called for an immediate ceasefire on the border between Lebanon and Israel.
The statement stressed that the situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8, 2023 is extremely critical and constitutes an unacceptable danger and threatens a broader regional escalation.
The statement stressed that the time has come to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes safely, but indicated that diplomacy cannot succeed in light of the current escalation.
The signatory countries called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Lebanese-Israeli border to provide space for diplomacy towards concluding a settlement consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735 on the ceasefire in Gaza.
The countries called on all parties to support an immediate temporary ceasefire in accordance with Security Council Resolution No. 1701 during this period, and to give a real opportunity to reach a diplomatic settlement.
The countries expressed their readiness to support all diplomatic efforts aimed at concluding an agreement between Lebanon and Israel during this period, based on the efforts made over the past months, to completely end this crisis.
International efforts continue to defuse the war between Lebanon and Israel and spare the region from serious losses and tensions. Will they succeed?
