US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Friday stressed the urgent need for a diplomatic solution to the conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon, calling for the protection of civilians. At a meeting in London, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Blinken about “ethnic cleansing” in northern Gaza, where Israeli forces have stepped up their military campaign in recent weeks, Reutersreported.
Blinken is in the UK following visits to the Middle East to discuss ways to resolve the conflict peacefully, particularly in Lebanon, where Israel has stepped up its offensive against Hezbollah in recent weeks, displacing 1.2 million people. The US Secretary of State met with Lebanon’s interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati, stating the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which regulates security on the border between Israel and Lebanon after the last major war in 2006.
“We want a diplomatic solution and full implementation of this resolution to ensure security on the border between Israel and Lebanon,” Blinken said, adding that Washington supports the protection of civilians and avoiding the involvement of the Lebanese armed forces in the conflict.
Israel has explained that its goal in Lebanon is to provide security for tens of thousands of Israelis who have fled their homes as a result of attacks by Hezbollah, which has supported the Palestinians since the start of the war in Gaza. Over the past month, Israel has carried out air strikes in southern Lebanon, southern Beirut and the Bekaa Valley.
“Ethnic cleansing”
Amid the escalation of the conflict in Gaza, which erupted after Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, Israeli forces have launched active military operations that have already killed about 43,000 Palestinians, according to local medical experts. Safadi said that the situation in northern Gaza, where Israeli forces have surrounded hospitals and refugee camps, is critical and condemned these actions as “ethnic cleansing”.
“Nothing can justify the siege of hospitals,” he said, calling for an immediate end to the blockade. Blinken replied that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had personally assured him that the siege tactics were not official Israeli policy.
“We reject any attempt to create a blockade, starve people or separate northern Gaza from the rest of the territory,” Blinken said.
