The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency session on Monday to address Israel’s expanding military operations in Lebanon, diplomatic sources told AFP.
Emergency Meeting
The meeting comes after Israeli forces captured the medieval Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon.
France called for the emergency session, which will convene immediately after a separate Security Council meeting on the crash of a Russian drone into a residential building in Romania, scheduled for 3:00 p.m. (1900 GMT), the sources said.
“I have requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council because, while we recognize Israel’s right, like that of all countries, to self-defense… nothing can justify the continuation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its ever-deeper occupation of Lebanese territory,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on the BFMTV channel.
War in Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead, triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Lebanon Involvement
Lebanon was drawn into the conflict on March 2 when Hezbollah launched a series of attacks to support its ally, Tehran.
As a result, Israel has launched an extensive military campaign that has since killed more than 2,000 people.
On Saturday, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned what he described as a dangerous escalation by Israel in southern Lebanon.
Salam called for an immediate ceasefire, warning that Israel’s approach of a “scorched-earth policy” would neither achieve lasting security.
He further accused Israel of pursuing what he labeled as a policy of “collective punishment” and “scorched earth,” arguing that its military operations have destroyed towns and villages across southern Lebanon and displaced large numbers of residents from their homes.
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