On Tuesday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni urged the Israeli government not to fall into the “trap” of retaliation, adding she was “very, very worried” about the situation in Lebanon. Speaking from China, she said Beijing could use its “solid ties” with Iran and Saudi Arabia to help defuse the situation.
The risk of regional conflict significantly increased after the rocket attack, which killed 12 children in the Druze town of Majdal Shams on Saturday. Israel, the U.S. and Germany have attributed the strike to the Lebanese, Iran-backed Hezbollah militia, but the Shia armed organization denied responsibility for the deadly attack.
After visiting Majdal Shams on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “the state of Israel will not, and cannot, ignore this. Our response will come and it will be severe.”
On Monday, the United States downplayed concerns of an “all-out war” in the region. According to Lebanese media L’Orient Le Jour, Israeli strikes on Beirut or the capital’s airport, which is located in a Hezbollah-controlled area, are red lines for Washington.
Nonetheless, on Tuesday morning the U.K. advised its citizens to leave Lebanon “due to risks associated with the ongoing conflict,” with European countries including Germany issuing similar warnings earlier this week. Airlines such as Lufthansa, Greek carrier Aegean Airlines, Air France and Transavia canceled flights to Beirut.
Calls with Iran, Lebanon, Israel
Behind the scenes, European leaders and officials are making frantic phone calls to their regional counterparts — though it remains unclear how much influence they actually have over Israel, Hezbollah and Iran.
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