September 19 (EUROPA PRESS) –
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has called on the British population in Lebanon to leave the country as soon as possible in view of the possibility of a further escalation of the war in the region, especially after the explosions of communication devices in Lebanese territory attributed to Israel.
“My message to British citizens in Lebanon is to leave while there are still commercial options. Tensions are high and the situation could deteriorate rapidly,” Lammy said on his social media profile, where he attached a map showing security alert levels in the Middle East region.
In addition to this warning, Lammy has reported that in the last few hours he has spoken with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Nayib Mikati, to whom he has conveyed his “concern” not only about the growing tensions in the region, but also about the high number of civilian victims of the aforementioned explosions of devices.
“We discussed the need for a negotiated solution to restore stability and security along the Blue Line,” Lammy said, referring to the demarcation established by the UN to establish a zone free of the presence of Israel and members of the Lebanese Shiite militia party Hezbollah.
On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron also had a telephone conversation with Mikati, to whom he conveyed Paris’ support following the explosions and the high number of victims, while calling for “moderation” so as not to increase tensions in the region.
Mikati, for his part, thanked Macron for his position and took the opportunity to ask the French president for his support in the face of the meeting called by Lebanon in the United Nations Security Council after what Beirut considers to have been an “aggression” by Israel.
Lebanon was the scene of explosions on Tuesday and Wednesday of devices — first pagers and then walkie-talkies — presumably in the hands of Hezbollah members, but which left 37 dead and almost 3,000 wounded, and which has raised concerns about a further escalation of violence in the region.
Both the Lebanese government and Hezbollah have not hesitated to point the finger directly at Israel for what happened, and have announced that there will be a response. However, the Israeli authorities have not commented on the matter, although they have taken the opportunity to announce a “new stage” in the war on the border with Lebanon.
The escalation of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah – a group supported by Iran that has significant military and political clout in Lebanon – has raised fears of the possibility of an expansion of the conflict into the Middle East. The Israeli army has even presented its “operational plans” to the United States.
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