The foreign ministers of the 15 European nations underscored the importance of UN peacekeepers while calling on Israel to respond positively to offers of direct negotiations from the Lebanese government.
“We support the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the implementation of its mandate,” the statement said of the peacekeepers.
“We condemn all attacks on UNIFIL’s contingents, which provoked unacceptable casualties among the peacekeepers, notably the killing of Indonesian peacekeepers,” the statement added.
The ministers urged all sides to respect the existing ceasefire from November 2024 and to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from 2006, which called for a full cessation of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
“We strongly encourage Israel to accept the call of the Lebanese authorities to hold direct negotiations,” the ministers asserted.
“Efforts to support stabilisation in Lebanon are instrumental to lasting peace and security in the Middle East. De-escalation is urgently needed. Diplomacy must prevail.”
“We support the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the implementation of its mandate,” the statement said of the peacekeepers.
“We condemn all attacks on UNIFIL’s contingents, which provoked unacceptable casualties among the peacekeepers, notably the killing of Indonesian peacekeepers,” the statement added.
The ministers urged all sides to respect the existing ceasefire from November 2024 and to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 from 2006, which called for a full cessation of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.
“We strongly encourage Israel to accept the call of the Lebanese authorities to hold direct negotiations,” the ministers asserted.
“Efforts to support stabilisation in Lebanon are instrumental to lasting peace and security in the Middle East. De-escalation is urgently needed. Diplomacy must prevail.”
