THE USA, France and several Arab and European countries yesterday called for an immediate 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border.
‘We call on all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to endorse the temporary ceasefire immediately,’ read a joint statement by the countries.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting that ‘hell is breaking loose’ in Lebanon, and an all-out war must be avoided ‘at all costs’.
‘To all sides, let’s say in one clear voice: Stop the killing and destruction, tone down the rhetoric and threats, and step back from the brink,’ he said.
Those joining the US and France in calling for a 21-day ceasefire included Qatar, Australia, Canada, the EU, the UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: ‘The world is speaking clearly for virtually all of the key countries in Europe and in the region on the need for the ceasefire,’ adding that he would be meeting with Israeli officials in New York later in the day.
US officials said Hezbollah would not be a signatory to the 21-day ceasefire but believed the Lebanese government would coordinate its acceptance with the group.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the council that ‘we are counting on both parties to accept it without delay’, adding that ‘war is not unavoidable’.
At the meeting, Najib Mikati, Lebanese prime minister, backed the French-US plan, saying it ‘enjoys international support and would put an end to this dirty war’.
He called on the council ‘to guarantee the withdrawal of Israel from all the occupied Lebanese territories and the violations that are repeated on a daily basis’.
The Israeli army continued its massive aggression against Lebanon for the fourth consecutive day by launching more raids and committing massacres against civilians.
The Minister of Environment and head of Emergency Committee, Nasser Yassin, announced that ‘the number of displaced people ranges between 150-200,000 people’, noting that 53,000 were distributed to shelter centres and the rest resorted to relatives or rented houses.
The level of displacement and violence taking place is putting ‘immense pressure on an already fragile health system’, Luna Hammad, of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said.
‘Health facilities are operating with extremely limited capacity due to the shortages of fuel, supplies and staff,’ Hammad said, adding that the country was already in need of trauma care, chronic disease management and mental health support.
‘People here are already facing immense hardship due to the economic crisis and this has deepened their suffering,’ Hammad said.
