EU’s top diplomat Kallas: Israel should cease operations in Lebanon

By Reuters 9 March 2026, 7:03 pm

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Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli air strike targeting Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut on March 9, 2026. (Ibrahim AMRO / AFP)

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says Israel should cease its operations in Lebanon and that diplomacy offers the best chance of preventing Lebanon from sliding into chaos.

“Hezbollah’s decision to attack Israel in support of Iran endangers the entire region and adds a deadly dimension. Israel has the right to self-defense in line with international law,” Kallas says in a statement.

“At the same time, Israel’s response has been heavy-handed. Its retaliation is causing mass displacement and is further destabilizing a fragile situation,” she says, adding that “Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.”