EU's foreign policy chief reiterates call for ceasefire in Lebanon

Brussels (The Uttam Hindu): The European Union (EU) recognises the urgent need for seven steps to address the ongoing conflict in Lebanon, said Josep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. His statement follows the Conference in Support of the Lebanese People and Sovereignty, held in France on Thursday, where pledges totaling $1 billion were made for humanitarian assistance and support for Lebanese security forces.

He said that the situation in Lebanon is extremely grave and needs urgent and massive efforts to put an end to the military confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel, which is causing immense suffering to the civilian population and destroying the Lebanese social fabric. "The first step is a ceasefire: without a suspension of hostilities, nothing will be possible," Borrell emphasised. Other necessary steps include the organisation of a presidential election, restoring Lebanon's sovereignty over its territory, and enhancing the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Furthermore, the provision of unconditional emergency humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people, along with robust economic support following the election of a new president, is crucial.

"We are currently racing against time between the potential start of a political process in Lebanon and a widespread conflagration with incalculable consequences," Borrell said. Later on Friday, Borrell condemned the killing of three journalists in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon earlier in the day, noting that nearly 130 journalists have lost their lives in Gaza over the past year. "Press freedom and access must be guaranteed, and journalists must be protected at all times," he said on X.