Middle East on ‘brink of war of unknown proportions’: EU’s Borrell
Josep Borrell, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, has issued a new plea to end the war in Gaza, which he warns has brought the region to “the brink of a war of unknown proportions”.
“All those standing the way of de-escalation shall be held accountable,” said Borrell in a post on X.
Borrell’s comments echo growing fears among policymakers of conflagration in the Middle East, as Iran and its allies threaten to strike Israel in response to its alleged assassination of several high-level Hamas and Hezbollah leaders last week.
Tensions keep escalating in the Middle East, bringing it on the brink of a war of unknown proportions.
We all must prevent another catastrophe. The way forward is largely consensual: ceasefire in Gaza, now.
All those standing in the way of de-escalation shall be held accountable.
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) August 6, 2024
When are you going to hold Israel accountable?
Abbas calls for Gaza to be handed over to ‘legitimate Palestinian authorities’
More from the Palestinian president’s interview with the RIA Novosti news agency.
“Gaza must be governed under the auspices of the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] and the legitimate Palestinian government,” Abbas told the Russian state news agency.
“We strongly oppose Israeli plans that provide for some temporary solutions,” he added.
Lebanon trying to prevent escalatory Hezbollah response: Lebanese FM
The Lebanese government is “trying to prevent a Hezbollah response that could start a wider war”, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said during a news conference with his Egyptian counterpart.
Since the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital, Tehran, last week, world leaders have been bracing for a response by Iran and its allies in the region, including Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Just a day before Haniyeh was killed, an Israeli strike on a Beirut suburb had killed a top Hezbollah commander.
