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Sunday, November 24, 2024
In Beirut, EU foreign policy chief calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’ between Israel, Hezbollah
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The EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell calls for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Israel-Hezbollah war while on a visit to Beirut for talks.
“We see only one possible way ahead: an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701,” Borrell says after meeting Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri, who has led mediation efforts on behalf of the Hezbollah terror group.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701 requires that the Lebanese Armed Forces be the only force with arms in southern Lebanon.
The resolution has gone largely unenforced since it was passed in 2006, allowing Hezbollah to build up a formidable arms cache and defensive capabilities, with neither UNIFIL observers nor the LAF willing to challenge the Iran-backed terror group.
“Back in September I came and was still hoping we could prevent a full-fledged war of Israel attacking Lebanon,” Borrell says. “Two months later Lebanon is on the brink of collapse.”
Hezbollah began attacking Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis on October 8, 2023, causing some 60,000 residents of northern Israel to be evacuated from their homes. Israel expanded military action against Hezbollah in September with the aim of allowing those residents to return safely to their homes.
The Times of Israel Community.