Australia joins calls for 21-day Lebanon ceasefire
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More news: Australia has joined the US and UK in calling for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, as Israel warns a ground invasion is possibly imminent.
In a statement released by the White House on Thursday, eleven countries and the European Union called for a pause in hostilities to seek a diplomatic solution to escalating violence launched by Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The statement — also endorsed by France, Canada and a handful of Arab nations — warned the violence presented an “unacceptable risk” of broader escalation, which was not in the interests of anyone in the region.
Separately, Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called on Israel to release audio from the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, which was withheld from an Australian investigation.
What they said: “It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety. Diplomacy however cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict," the statement said.
Washington scrambles for peace deal with Israel, Hezbollah on the brink
The news: Israel and Hezbollah are on the brink of all out war, as Israel confirms a ground invasion of Lebanon may be imminent and the militant group targeting Tel Aviv with rocket fire.
The context: The United States is scrambling to avert an escalation of violence which has accelerated in recent days. The United Nations held an emergency meeting on Thursday seeking a joint resolution calling for a de-escalation.
Washington and France are working on a short-term ceasefire to prevent a full-scale war, which US President Joe Biden concedes is a possibility, according to multiple media reports.
The comments came as Israel’s army chief confirmed troops may soon cross the Lebanese border, though the US has played down fears an invasion was imminent.
Last week, pagers and walkie talkies used by Hezbollah exploded across Lebanon, killing 42 people and injuring thousands. The attack is widely attributed to Israel, though it has not officially claimed responsibility.
Israeli airstrikes also killed 550 people on Monday, Lebanon’s deadliest day since the 1990 civil war, and attacks have continued since. Israel’s military said it had struck 2000 Hezbollah targets in the last three days.
Hezbollah vowed reprisals for the attacks and launched rocket fire at Tel Aviv, Israel’s second largest city more than 200km from the Lebanese border. The missiles were intercepted by Israeli defences.
Israel says its intent is to prevent Hezbollah from firing rockets into northern Israel, where roughly 60,000 civilians have evacuated since the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas.
Hezbollah says its approach is designed to degrade Israel’s assault on Gaza, where its bombardments have killed more than 40,000 people, according to local health authorities.
Fears of expansion have deepened after drones launched by pro-Iranian Iraqi militia struck an Israeli port in the Red Sea.
What they said: “An all-out war is possible, but I think there’s also the opportunity – we’re still in play to have a settlement that can fundamentally change the whole region,” Biden told ABC.
The sources: ABC, The New York Times, BBC, Times of Israel , Times of Israel , Sydney Morning Herald, White House statement
