Egypt denounces escalation in Lebanon in Arab-Islamic committee meeting with UN chief

CAIRO – 26 September 2024: Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty strongly condemned the serious Israeli escalation in Lebanon during his participation in the Arab-Islamic committee meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday.

The meeting, held on the sidelines of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 79), saw Abdelatty cautioning against the spillover of conflict and potential regional descent into war.

Abdelatty also called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to the enclave.

He reiterated opposition to any attempts to divide the Gaza Strip from the West Bank, emphasizing the importance of implementing a two-state solution and establishing the State of Palestine based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In attendance at the meeting were prime ministers and foreign ministers from Palestine and Qatar, as well as foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey, Indonesia, and Nigeria, alongside the secretaries-general of the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Recent Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have killed over 620 individuals, including women and children.

These airstrikes followed a series of deadly explosions caused by pagers and walkie-talkies in a joint operation conducted by Israeli intelligence and the military, leading to 42 fatalities and around 3,500 injuries according to Lebanese official reports.

Israel rejected a US-backed proposal by 12 parties, including the European Union and several Arab states, for a 21-day ceasefire with Hezbollah.

During an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Wednesday, the Egyptian foreign minister stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive halt to violations of Lebanese sovereignty, combined with an immediate and complete ceasefire in Gaza as a crucial step towards restoring stability in the Middle East.

The assaults on Lebanon coincide with the Israeli war in Gaza, approaching its one-year anniversary.

Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have killed over 41,500 Palestinians and injured more than 96,000 individuals, pushing the region closer to the brink of famine.