The EU has called on Israel and Lebanon to stop all military action immediately and stick to a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, while urging Hezbollah to withdraw from the area south of the Litani river and Israel to pull back from Lebanese territory.
The ceasefire offers an opportunity to end the conflict, and Israel and Lebanon should continue direct negotiations “in a constructive spirit,” according to a statement issued on Saturday on behalf of the EU by High Representative Kaja Kallas.
It also rejected any additional conditions from Hezbollah.
The EU said the Lebanese population was paying a “heavy and unacceptable” humanitarian and socio-economic price from continued escalation and airstrikes.
Support for Lebanon’s army and UN peacekeepers
The EU said it would continue supporting the Lebanese government and was ready to support implementation of an agreement between Israel and Lebanon.
A new European Peace Facility assistance measure worth €100 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces was adopted on 4 June and will support efforts to reinforce their capacity.
The European Peace Facility is an EU fund used to provide support related to security and defence.
The EU demanded full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 — adopted in 2006 to help end war between Israel and Hezbollah — including respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by Israel and the disarmament of non-state armed groups such as Hezbollah.
It also called on all actors to respect international law, including international humanitarian law, and said civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected.
The EU reaffirmed support for the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, and condemned attacks against its personnel, including the killing of a UNIFIL soldier in attacks on 4 June, the seventh peacekeeper to have died since March.
Kallas said the killing of peacekeepers was a violation of international law and must be met with accountability, and that a continued UN presence in Lebanon after UNIFIL remained essential for implementing Resolution 1701.
