EU top diplomat calls for urgent steps to stop fighting in Lebanon
Josep Borrell says he met PM Najib Mikati in Beirut to “discuss urgent key steps” to stop the fighting in Lebanon.
“We must ensure that both sides, Israel and Hezbollah, halt their destructive actions,” Borrell said on X.
“The Israeli army has erased 37 entire villages” in south Lebanon and continues to drop one-tonne bombs on central Beirut, he said, adding, “This must stop as do Hezbollah’s attacks on Israeli communities.”
In Lebanon today for the 3rd time in one year. Met w/ caretaker PM @Najib_Mikati to discuss the urgent key steps to stop the conflict.
Need to increase pressure on Israel & Hezbollah to agree to the US proposal for a ceasefire & fully & symmetrically implement of #UNSCR1701. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/k2buoR8oxu
— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) November 24, 2024
UN envoy says ‘extremely critical’ to avoid Syria being dragged into war
The UN special envoy for Syria has said it was “extremely critical” to end the wars in Lebanon and Gaza to avoid the country being pulled into a regional war.
“We need now to make sure that we have immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, that we have a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that we avoid Syria being dragged even further into the conflict,” said Geir Otto Pedersen before a meeting with the Syrian foreign minister in Damascus.
Israel has been intermittently bombing Syria, though it rarely claims the attacks it carries out. This week, an Israeli attack on Palmyra killed at least 36 people.
Iran preparing to ‘respond’ to Israel: Supreme leader adviser
Iran is getting set to “respond” to Israel, Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, says in an interview published by the Tasnim News Agency.
“Relevant officials at [the] Iranian military and government are preparing measures to show a proper response to recent Israeli aggression against Iran,” Larijani said, adding that restoring deterrence is a key issue.
“[Officials] are pursuing the issue carefully to ensure that Iran’s response to Israel fulfills these specifications. This is an issue [where] we should allow relevant military officials to take the right decision. I know they are thinking about different ways to reach that decision.”
On October 26, Israeli fighter jets launched strikes on Iran after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at Israel in response to the killings of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
Since then, Israel has raised its alert level and deployed the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) air defence system in anticipation of an Iranian response.
