In a bold diplomatic retort, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar dismissed a joint declaration by top officials from five Western democracies as a ‘perversion of reality.’ The statement, aimed at curbing the Israel-Hezbollah clashes, called for immediate de-escalation and dialogue toward a political resolution in Lebanon.
Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK voiced alarm at the rising violence, blasting Hezbollah for targeting ordinary Israelis, partnering with Iran to stoke conflict, and hitting civilian sites, medical staff, and UN peacekeepers. They reiterated calls for UNSC Resolution 1701’s enforcement, backing Lebanon’s push to neutralize Hezbollah’s arsenal and armed hostility. Solidarity was pledged to the Lebanese government and people, unwillingly dragged into the fray, amid a dire humanitarian crisis with mass displacements.
Sa’ar’s response cut deep: Hezbollah’s aggression began October 8, 2023, without provocation, forcing over a year of evacuations for Israeli families. Just in the last two weeks, 2,000 missiles, rockets, and drones rained down on civilians. ‘Would your citizens endure this shadow of fear?’ he challenged the signatories, rejecting any moral parity between Israel’s self-defense and Hezbollah’s takeover of Lebanon.
Notably absent, Sa’ar noted, was any pressure on Lebanon to cease Hezbollah’s barrages or oust its political allies. With Lebanon failing at disarmament, urgent action is needed to silence the guns from its borders.
On the military front, IDF strikes hammered Hezbollah targets nationwide. Sunday’s operations destroyed rocket launch pads in Al-Qatrani and Beirut’s Radwan Force hubs. Evacuation directives blanketed Beirut suburbs—Haret Hreik to Shiyah—promising rigorous enforcement against terrorist embeds. Hezbollah vowed continued hits on Israeli border outposts, as the cycle of retaliation grips the region.