The G7 foreign ministers have appealed to the parties to the Middle East conflict to refrain from “all dangerous initiatives”. Representatives of the “seven” met at the request of Italy, which currently chairs the group. Great Britain has withdrawn its diplomats from Lebanon, and other countries are calling for their citizens to leave the country as soon as possible.
– Together with our partners, we have expressed strong concerns about recent events, including those related to Lebanon – the Minister of Foreign Affairs said after Sunday's remote meeting of the world's most industrialized countries ItalianDeputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani.
– We ask the parties concerned to refrain from any initiatives that may hinder the path of dialogue and moderation and lead to a new escalation – added the head of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referring, among other things, to the risk of open confrontation between Iran and Israel and Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah.
Fears of a wide-ranging conflict in the Middle East are linked to the killing by Israel in recent days senior commanders of Hezbollah and Hamas.
Ending the war in Gaza a “priority”
Tajani then noted that the conference participants confirmed their support for the president's plan. USA Joe Biden on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas and stressed the priority of concluding the negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas. – We reiterated our commitment to intensify humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip – added the Italian Deputy Prime Minister.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: Antony Blinken spoke with G7 ministers about diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.
Britain withdraws diplomats
Great Britain said on Sunday it had withdrawn the families of embassy staff in Beirut due to the volatile security situation in Lebanon and renewed its appeal to its citizens to leave Lebanon due to the risk of escalation in the Middle East conflict. “We are deeply concerned by the highly volatile security situation in Lebanon,” a Foreign Office spokesman said, adding that additional consular officials, border guards and military personnel had been sent to the region. “All British nationals should leave Lebanon now that commercial routes are still available,” he said.
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Appeals to leave the country
The authorities of the USA, Great Britain, France and Italy appealed to their citizens to leave Lebanon. This was also recommended by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs..
Another country whose authorities have appealed to people to leave Lebanon immediately is Saudi Arabia“The Saudis must leave Lebanon immediately,” the authorities in Riyadh stressed on Sunday, as quoted by AFP. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, Lebanon's Hezbollah announced that it had fired dozens of rockets at Israeli territory. “About 30 missiles were fired, we shot down most of them, no one was hurt in the attack,” the Israeli army reported.
Main image source: EPA