Leaders of nine European Union member states in the Mediterranean on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire after a sharp escalation in conflict between Israel and forces of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Portugal's Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel, Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Malta's Prime Minister Robert Abela, Slovenia's Prime Minister Robert Golob, Jordan's King Abdullah and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen pose for a family photo on the day of the Euro-Mediterranean Summit (EU-MED9) in a resort near Paphos, Cyprus, October 11, 2024. Reuters/Yiannis Kourtoglou
Leaders of nine European Union member states in the Mediterranean on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire after a sharp escalation in conflict between Israel and forces of Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
« Hezbollah‘s firing of rockets and other projectiles into Israeli territory since 8th October 2023 has to stop. The sovereignty of both Israel and Lebanon has to be preserved and guaranteed, and any operations in violation of it must stop. Any further military intervention would dramatically aggravate the situation. Reaffirming our commitment to the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, we call on all actors to exercise restraint and engage in mediating efforts to defuse tensions, whereas we will continue advocating for further support to Lebanon and its people, including to the Lebanese Armed Forces which are called to play a critical stabilizing role. We also support the fundamental stabilization role of UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon. We firmly condemn the Iranian missile attack against Israel. We call on all actors to act responsibly and refrain from further military actions. We reiterate our condemnation in the strongest terms of the brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel and we deplore all civilian loss of life, in particular the high toll on children and women », a statement from EU leaders attending a summit, known as MED9, read after meeting in Cyprus.
By Anton Divert
Hamas said it had responded on Friday in "a positive spirit" to a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire proposal and was prepared to enter into talks on implementing the deal, which envisages a release of hostages and negotiations on ending the conflict.
Hezbollah has begun a major strategic review in the wake of its devastating war with Israel, including considering scaling back its role as an armed movement without disarming completely, three sources familiar with the deliberations say.
The U.S.-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the conflict, an official familiar with the negotiations said on Wednesday.
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