"The bombing campaign by the Israeli army is not an attack on Hezbollah, but an aggression against Lebanon, said Fadi Hajali, Lebanon’s Ambassador to Belgium, addressing the Chamber on Wednesday.
Following a meeting with Israel’s ambassador to Belgium, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, on Tuesday, the Foreign Relations Committee met with Ambassador Hajali on Wednesday.
Hajali criticised Israel’s "disproportionate use of force" and accused it of "flagrantly violating international humanitarian law.” He dismissed Israel’s justification that it targets the terrorist group Hezbollah and claimed that "war crimes are certainly being committed."
In the conclusions at the European Council meeting last week, EU leaders reiterated Israel’s right to defend itself in line with international law and the EU’s commitment to its security and to regional stability. Rocket attacks by Hezbollah from Lebanon must stop. Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.
The ambassador argued that Lebanon’s diverse and multi-faith nature troubles Israel, contrasting it with what he described as Israel’s "apartheid" and "mono-ethnic" regime. Israeli attacks have displaced 1.4 million people, representing 30% of Lebanon’s population, he pointed out.
Before the attacks, Israel warned the population to leave buildings where Hezbollah were storing weapons and missiles.
Many Syrian refugees had to leave Lebanon, with 340,000 returning to Syria and 150,000 Lebanese moving to Syria despite its ongoing conflict. Hajali called for a "more pragmatic" approach towards Syria, still under Bashar al-Assad after more than 13 years of civil war.
Ambassador Hajali urged the full and "symmetrical" implementation of United Nations Resolution 1701, which aims to end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel since its approval in 2006.
Hajali also mentioned his meeting with Belgium’s Minister of Cooperation, Frank Vandenbroucke, who will attend an international conference on Lebanon in Paris on Thursday. "I requested Belgium’s assistance in the healthcare sector," he said, also asking Belgium to rally European support for substantial aid to Lebanon.
The debate among deputies was notably calmer than the previous day when the Israeli ambassador addressed the committee. All parties, with some differing views, advocated for a ceasefire, respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty, and the disarmament of Hezbollah, in accordance with UN Resolution 1701.
