Japan urges restraint as Israel begins ground operation in Lebanon

Japan’s government expressed “serious concern” over the Israeli ground incursion against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and urged maximum restraint to avoid a new escalation of the conflict.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi called for an immediate ceasefire, stressed that all possible measures must be taken to avoid civilian casualties and asked the parties involved to seek a diplomatic solution, as reported by Kyodo News.

Hayashi, the government’s top spokesman, said at a news conference that Tokyo has been making efforts to ensure the safety of the nearly 50 Japanese citizens in Lebanon.

Early Tuesday, the Israeli military announced that it had begun “limited and localized” ground operations against Hezbollah, marking its first ground invasion of Lebanon since 2006.

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The raid follows deadly pager and walkie-talkie explosions targeting Hezbollah members, Israel’s large-scale airstrikes on the group’s headquarters in Beirut, the Lebanese capital, and the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

The latest developments represent an escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, triggered by a surprise attack by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas against southern Israel almost a year ago.

Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, the Japanese Defense Ministry on Friday ordered the Air Self-Defense Force to send two C2 transport planes to Jordan and Greece to prepare for a possible evacuation of Japanese citizens in Lebanon.

Japan, which relies heavily on the Middle East for crude oil, has traditionally sought “balanced diplomacy” between Arab nations and Israel, which is backed by the United States, Tokyo’s main security ally.