UK: ’Israel’s’ Lebanon Invasion ’Must End’

By Staff, Agencies

United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has called for an end to "Israeli" strikes in Lebanon, saying claiming civilians must stop as "Israel" occupation intensifies its aggression against the country.

The "Israeli" occupation forces [IOF] has intensified airstrikes in recent days and moved deeper into Lebanese territory despite the ceasefire agreed in mid-April after more than a month of fighting.

On Sunday, "Israeli" troops seized Beaufort Castle, a 900-year-old Crusader fortress, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the military “to expand its ground maneuver” against Lebanese Islamic Ressistance, Hezbollah.

In a further development, Netanyahu’s order could further complicate indirect talks between the US and Iran, with peace in Lebanon being among Tehran’s key demands for prolonging the truce with Washington.

Separately, in a post on X on Monday, Cooper said "Israel’s" military escalation in Lebanon has claimed and displaced civilians, destroyed infrastructure, and eroded space for diplomacy. It must end.

At the same time, she urged Hezbollah to stop its operations against "Israel" and lay down its arms, stressing that all parties must uphold the ceasefire and engage in good-faith negotiations.

Similarly, German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul said in a statement on Sunday that the "Israeli" advances are a "cause for serious concern", warning that they could "exacerbate the already tense situation and trigger new waves of displacement within Lebanon".

According to Lebanese authorities, at least 12 civilians were martyred in “Israeli” strikes on Sunday alone, while more than 3,400 have been martyred, around 10,000 wounded, and 1.6 million displaced since the start of “Israel’s” aggression against Hezbollah in March.

In parallel, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held calls with both Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun over the weekend to advance a proposal for a “gradual de-escalation” between the “Israeli” occupation and Hezbollah.

As a first step, Rubio’s plan calls for Hezbollah to halt drone attacks on "Israel", with the IOF refraining from escalating aggression in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, in return, a source said.

However, while Aoun reportedly tried to advance the US proposal, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who is close to Hezbollah, insisted that the IOF should stop “shooting first.”