Nations across Middle East condemn Israeli attack on Lebanon

UAE rejects 'reckless actions' while Saudi Arabia warns of 'dangers of expanding violence'

Smoke rises above the city of Baalbek in southern Lebanon on Monday amid Israeli air strikes. AFP

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Nations across the Middle East have condemned Israel's attacks on Lebanon, with the UAE releasing a statement “rejecting violence, escalation and reckless actions”.

Israel's conflict with the Lebanese group Hezbollah turned into an open-ended war on Monday after the Israeli military launched its most intensive air assault yet on the country. The strikes killed hundreds in Lebanon, with the Iran-backed group responding by firing rockets as far as Haifa, Tel Aviv and the occupied West Bank.

The UAE expressed deep concern over attacks carried out “without the slightest regard for the laws governing relations and sovereignty of states”, and the repercussions on security and stability. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for concerted international efforts to stop the fighting and said it rejected “violence, escalation, and reckless actions and reactions”.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “the kingdom renews its warning of the dangers of expanding violence in the region”.

“The kingdom urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and distance the region and its people from the dangers of war. The kingdom stresses on the importance of preserving Lebanon's stability and respecting its sovereignty in accordance with international law,” it said.

Egypt condemned the Israeli strikes, with its Foreign Ministry expressing “utmost solidarity” with Lebanon and its people. It offered condolences to the families of the victims and called for an immediate ceasefire and peaceful resolution. It said Israeli aggression in Lebanon and Gaza threaten to plunge the region into a wider conflict, and urged the international community to intervene. The ministry called for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister told The National that Israel's attacks were “unilateral actions” that were “violating the sovereignty of Lebanon”.

“We are very, very concerned about the escalation, which could destabilise the security and the territorial integrity of Lebanon,” said Badr Abdelatty, who was in New York for the UN General Assembly.

Turkey said Israel's assault threatened to push the Middle East deeper into turmoil.

“Israel's attacks on Lebanon mark a new phase in its efforts to drag the entire region into chaos,” Ankara's Foreign Ministry said.

An outspoken critic of Israel's campaign in Gaza, Turkey urged also the international community to take action.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Israel's attacks were 'violating the sovereignty of Lebanon'. AFP

“It is imperative that all institutions responsible for maintaining international peace and security, especially the United Nations Security Council, as well as the international community, take the necessary measures without delay,” the ministry said. “The countries that unconditionally support Israel are helping [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu shed blood for his political interests.”

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called on the UN to protect the region from “disastrous consequences”.

“Israel's aggression against Lebanon was enabled by the international inability to stop its aggression against Gaza,” Mr Safadi said. “Israel continues to push the region towards the abyss of a comprehensive regional war because the international community has failed to protect its laws and values.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani called for an emergency meeting of Arab leaders at the UN General Assembly to discuss the escalation. The meeting would discuss “the repercussions of the Zionist aggression on our peaceful people in Lebanon and the joint efforts to stop its criminal behaviour”, he said.

Mr Al Sudani also announced that Iraq would start sending humanitarian aid and fuel to Lebanon and said his country was ready to receive the injured in hospitals.

Congested roads along the southern entry to Beirut on Monday as people fled. AFP

US President Joe Biden said Washington was trying to calm the situation.

“My team is in constant contact with their counterparts and we're working to de-escalate in a way that allows people to return home safely,” Mr Biden said.

British Foreign Minister David Lammy said he was “deeply alarmed”. “I repeat my call for an immediate ceasefire on both sides, which I will emphasise when I meet G7 ministers tonight,” Mr Lammy said in a post on social media on Monday.

France requested an emergency UN Security Council meeting, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the UN General Assembly. He called on all sides to “avoid a regional conflagration that would be devastating for everyone”, especially civilians.