Head of European Diplomacy Josep Borrell Photo: Fred Sierakowki/AP
European diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday that Israel “has no excuse” for refusing to abandon the ceasefire in Lebanon agreed by the United States and France, AFP reports.
“We hope that today the Netanyahu government will approve the ceasefire agreement proposed by the United States and France,” Borrell said on the sidelines of the G7 meeting near Rome. He stressed that Israel has no right to delay the negotiations: “No excuses, no additional demands – stop these battles, stop killing people and start thinking about peace.”
Israel’s security cabinet was due to decide on a truce in the war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Tuesday, with the US saying the deal is “almost there”. “We believe we’re close to reaching that agreement,” said White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, stressing that the decision is not yet final and calling for caution.
“We must put pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire proposal today,” Borrell said, expressing concern over statements by extremist Israeli government ministers seeking to continue bombing. He added that “a ceasefire is absolutely essential if we want the hundreds of thousands of displaced people to be able to return home.”
Borrell condemned the destruction in southern Lebanon, noting that “the whole of southern Lebanon has been destroyed.”
On 8 October 2023, Hezbollah opened a new front against Israel in support of Hamas, a Palestinian ally that was the target of a massive Israeli offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on 7 October 2023.
