Spain and 17 other countries call for an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks

The Diplomat The foreign ministers of Spain, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Slovenia, and Sweden issued a joint statement on Thursday demanding an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks. “Concerned about the conflict in the Middle East, we express our dismay at the dramatic situation and the renewed escalation of violence in Lebanon, where there are already 1.2 million internally displaced persons, representing approximately 25% of the total population. To date, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives, the majority of them civilians, including children, aid workers, and journalists, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health,” the statement begins. “We strongly condemn Hezbollah’s decision to attack Israel in support of Iran. Hezbollah must immediately cease all hostile actions against Israel and disarm, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” it continues. “We recall Israel’s obligation to fully respect international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution, and underscore the importance of protecting civilians and civilian objects. Attacks against civilians, medical personnel, humanitarian workers, journalists, civilian infrastructure, and facilities are unjustified and unacceptable. They must cease immediately. It is important to conduct independent investigations to ensure accountability,” it continues. “Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah attacks must cease,” the text warns. “We urge Israel to fully respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we call on all parties, both Hezbollah and Israel, to end military actions. We also request full, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all affected populations,” it adds. “We support the Lebanese government’s decision on the state monopoly on weapons, its efforts to disarm Hezbollah and end its military activities, and we welcome the decision of the Lebanese Council of Ministers of March 2, 2026, to prohibit all military and security-related activities by Hezbollah, entrust the Lebanese Armed Forces with the safekeeping of Hezbollah’s weapons, and compel Hezbollah to surrender its weapons to the Lebanese state. We also commend the Lebanese government’s recent reform efforts in various areas. These efforts should be supported, not undermined. Furthermore, it remains essential that the international community continue to support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF),” the signatories continued. “We support the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in fulfilling its mandate. We condemn all attacks against UNIFIL contingents, which have resulted in unacceptable casualties among peacekeepers, in particular the killing of Indonesian members of those forces. The safety of UN peacekeepers must be guaranteed at all times,” the statement continues. “We express our condolences to all victims and their families of the violence in Lebanon and Israel,” it adds. “All parties must respect the November 2024 ceasefire agreement and fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701. We strongly urge Israel to accept the Lebanese authorities’ call for direct negotiations. Efforts to support stabilization in Lebanon are fundamental to lasting peace and security in the Middle East. De-escalation is urgently needed. Diplomacy must prevail,” the statement warns. “We have already mobilized significant emergency and humanitarian aid to assist Lebanon and its people, and we will continue to do so. We call on the international community to mobilize in order to continue assisting Lebanon and its people,” it concludes.

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