CAIRO – 23 March 2025: Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty warned of the dangers of Lebanon slipping into a cycle of escalation that could lead to further instability during a phone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart Youssef Raji.
This came after reports of cross-border attacks between Lebanon and Israel on Saturday.
According to an official statement issued by the Egyptian foreign ministry, the two sides discussed the recent developments in southern Lebanon, which threaten regional stability and exacerbate the fragile situation in the area, said in a statement.
Abdelatty emphasized Egypt's rejection of any actions that could jeopardize the security, safety, and stability of the Lebanese people.
He underscored the necessity of implementing and adhering to the ceasefire agreement in southern Lebanon, calling for the immediate and complete withdrawal of Israeli forces and enabling the Lebanese army to enforce Resolution 1701.
He stressed the importance of the full and simultaneous application of the resolution by all parties without selectivity.
Israeli forces launched artillery fire and airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday after they reported intercepting rockets fired from across the border, aimed at the town of Metula.
These rockets mark the first instances of fire from Lebanon towards Israel since a truce brokered by the US took effect in November, halting Israel's intense bombardment and ground operations in Lebanese territory.
The ceasefire had brought relative calm between Israel and Hezbollah after a year of exchanges following the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023. Israeli attacks on Lebanon killed more than 4,000 people since the Gaza war.
However, Israel has maintained its troops at five locations in Lebanon, defying the agreement that mandates a complete withdrawal, a situation the Lebanese government and Hezbollah emphasize as occupation.
On Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz held the Lebanese government responsible for the rocket launches, warning that “the rule of Metula is the rule of Beirut,” indicating a potential threat of attacks on Lebanon.
In response to these developments, new Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam cautioned against renewed military operations along the southern border, which could risk dragging the country into another war.
Salam instructed his Minister of National Defense, Michel Mansi, to implement “all necessary security and military measures that ensure that only the state has the authority to decide matters of war and peace,” according to a statement from his office.
Salam also spoke with UN Secretary General’s Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, urging increased international pressure on Israel to fully withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory in accordance with UN Resolution 1701 and the terms of the ceasefire.
These attacks occur amid Israel's renewed extensive airstrikes on Gaza since Tuesday, killing more than 600 people over the past few days, predominantly women and children, and disrupting a ceasefire that had lasted nearly two months.
The Israeli war in Gaza has killed over 49,600 Palestinians to date and dragged the region into a wave of instability, triggering attacks on Israeli targets from Lebanon and Yemen in solidarity with the Palestinian population
Sun, Mar. 23, 2025
