Pope Francis says Israeli attacks on Lebanon go ‘beyond morality’
Asked about Israeli air strikes in Lebanon that killed Hezbollah officials as well as civilians, the pontiff criticised military attacks that go “beyond morality”. On a flight from Belgium to Rome, Francis said countries cannot go “over the top” in using their military forces.
“Even in war there is a morality to safeguard,” he said. “War is immoral. But the rules of war give it some morality.”
Pope Francis talks to journalists during his flight back to Rome at the end of a four-day visit to Belgium and Luxembourg
Pope flying coach?
British, French FMs agree to work on ‘diplomatic solution’ in Lebanon
British Foreign Minister David Lammy says he spoke to his French counterpart, Jean-Noel Barrot, about the situation in Lebanon. “We agreed on the need to end the bloodshed, enable humanitarian support and to work towards a diplomatic solution which ends the conflict,” Lammy wrote on X.
Barrot is expected to arrive in Lebanon tonight to bring “French support, especially humanitarian”, his ministry said in a statement.
Ground invasion of Lebanon unlikely: Israeli analyst
Israeli analyst Ori Goldberg says that Israel is not preparing for a ground invasion, but instead focusing on aerial bombings in Lebanon and assassinations of senior Hezbollah leaders.
“I don’t think the troop build-up shows indications of preparations for a ground invasion,” he said, referring to the massing of Israeli ground troops on the country’s northern border and adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “does not want soldiers dying”.
“Soldiers have not been dying in Gaza recently. In fact, the fighting in the Gaza ground war is almost over, and a war in Lebanon would renew what would amount to real political criticisms for the prime minister,” Goldberg said, adding that facing Hezbollah on the ground would be a “formidable challenge”.
“[The Israeli army] didn’t do too well in 2006, it hasn’t done too well in Gaza. The [army] and the prime minister would, for all these reasons, continue a campaign of ariel bombing, as far-flung as it may be.”
They can't defeat Hamas, Hezbollah is much tougher. So just keep bombing the defenseless populations :/
