Lebanon's Information Minister Ziad Makary revealed during a recent cabinet session that diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire with Israel are actively progressing. "It is clear that the Lebanese government is committed to a ceasefire, and it is widely known that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to New York was predicated on the expectation of a ceasefire. However, the decision to target Nasrallah was made," Makary stated.
The confirmed death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday has escalated tensions between Lebanon and Israel, following months of conflict along their shared border. "Diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire continue. The Prime Minister is fully engaged, but the situation is complex," Makary added.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that he had a conversation with Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Saturday. "We concurred on the urgency of an immediate ceasefire to halt the bloodshed. A diplomatic resolution is the sole path to restoring security and stability for both the Lebanese and Israeli populations," Lammy announced via the social media platform X.
Earlier in the week, Lammy addressed the United Nations' General Assembly, advocating for an immediate ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, emphasizing that a full-scale war would not serve the interests of the people in the region. The British foreign ministry has urged its citizens to leave Lebanon promptly.
When questioned by reporters about the possibility of an Israeli ground incursion into Lebanon, US President Joe Biden asserted that a ceasefire is imperative. "It's time for a ceasefire," Biden stated during a visit to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. In response to inquiries about potential US retaliation for missile attacks on US warships in the Red Sea, Biden confirmed, "We're responding."
Pope Francis, concluding a three-day visit to Belgium, called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and the broader Middle East. "I urge all parties to cease fire immediately in Lebanon, Gaza, the rest of Palestine, and Israel," the 87-year-old pontiff proclaimed during an open-air mass in Brussels, as Israel continued its targeting of the Hezbollah armed group in Lebanon.
France has also called on Israel to halt its strikes against Lebanon, following the killing of the leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group, which has raised concerns about a potential escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, in conversation with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, emphasized Paris's desire for "an immediate cessation of Israeli strikes in Lebanon" and opposition to any ground operations, according to a foreign ministry statement. France additionally "urges other actors, particularly Hezbollah and Iran, to refrain from any actions that could exacerbate instability and regional conflict."
