Europe

Czech Republic blocks EU’s critical common position with Israel over civilian casualties in Lebanon

Czech Republic blocks EU's critical common position with Israel over civilian casualties in Lebanon

BRUSSELS, Oct. 1 () –

This Monday, the Czech Republic prevented the European Union from approving a common position on the crisis in Lebanon that denounced the high number of civilian victims in Israel’s military operations and demanded that a new intervention on the ground be avoided, something that finally occurred at first time this Tuesday.

Finally, the joint declaration of the bloc has been approved as a statement by the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, so it loses diplomatic force. European sources confirm that this was a result of the Prague blockade that did not approve a declaration that, like all EU foreign policy, requires unanimity from the Member States.

The text itself “deplores the numerous civilian victims in Lebanon, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the high number of internally displaced persons” and calls for respect for International Humanitarian Law “in all circumstances.”

“The weapons must be silenced and the voice of diplomacy must speak and be heard by all,” insists the statement from the head of European diplomacy on the events in Lebanon.

In this sense, Borrell’s position warned that “any new military intervention would dramatically aggravate the situation” and expressed concern about “the risks of a new escalation of the conflict throughout the region”, urging all parties to “show restraint in for the sake of de-escalation”.

In any case, the document that the High Representative has finally published denounces the launching of rockets and other projectiles by the Shiite militia Hezbollah against Israeli territory since October 8, insisting that these operations “must cease”, alleging time that the sovereignty “of both Israel and Lebanon” must be guaranteed.

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