China strongly condemns the Israeli attacks in Lebanon and pledges support. The situation in the Middle East is fueling fears of an uncontrollable escalation. All developments in the news blog.
7.14 am: The UN observer mission UNIFIL is temporarily suspending its patrols in the border area between Israel and Lebanon due to the increased danger to its personnel. The risk posed by mutual fire between Israel’s army and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia currently requires the peacekeepers to remain in their bases, a UN spokesman said.
The UN mission has been monitoring the border area between Israel and Lebanon since 1978. The mission, one of the oldest active missions within the UN, comprises around 10,000 soldiers and 800 civilians. Since the mission began almost 50 years ago, more than 300 peacekeepers have lost their lives.
6.42 am: China has assured Lebanon of its support in the Middle East conflict and sharply criticized Israel for its attacks on Hezbollah. The People’s Republic resolutely supports Lebanon in protecting its sovereignty, security and national dignity, said Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to his ministry in New York.
The Chinese condemned Israel’s “indiscriminate attacks on civilians” and communication facilities in Lebanon. China has so far always remained neutral in the Middle East conflict, but has repeatedly criticized the actions of the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. Observers suspect that China wants to present itself to the Arab countries in the Middle East as an alternative world power and peacemaker.
4.17 am: The foreign ministers of the G7 countries are concerned about the increasing tensions in the Middle East. In a joint statement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, they warn of a dangerous escalation of the situation.
“Action and reaction threaten to exacerbate this dangerous spiral of violence and drag the entire Middle East into a larger regional conflict with unimaginable consequences,” the document says.
They are calling for the current destructive cycle to be stopped. No country will benefit from further escalation in the Middle East. The G7 states are appealing to all parties involved to contribute to de-escalation and to strive for a peaceful solution.
2 o’clock: France has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in light of the massive Israeli air strikes in Lebanon. He has requested the meeting for this week, said the new French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Monday before the UN General Assembly. “France calls on the parties and those who support them to de-escalate and avoid a regional conflagration that would be devastating for everyone, starting with the civilian population,” Barrot continued.
In his speech, Barrot also said: “At this moment, I am thinking of the Lebanese people, while Israeli air strikes have caused hundreds of civilian casualties, including dozens of children.” The attacks “on both sides” of the UN demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon must “stop immediately”.
Egypt called for “immediate intervention” by “international powers and the UN Security Council.” The “dangerous escalation” by Israel must be stopped, the Foreign Ministry announced in Cairo on Monday. Turkey also condemned the Israeli attacks in an initial reaction.
1.12 am: According to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the escalation between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon is approaching a full-blown war. “If this is not a war situation, I don’t know what else to call it,” Borrell told journalists, referring to the high number of civilian casualties.
