Israel provokes a total massacre in Lebanon. In the last hours More than 350 people were killed by a wave of bomb attacks launched by Tel Aviv. Among them, at least 20 childrenaccording to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. It was the deadliest day in Lebanon since the end of the brutal civil war that devastated the country in 1990.
Such attacks have already left 5,000 people injured and forced thousands of Lebanese to move to the north of the country. They flee Lebanon because Israel is crushing them. They leave with practically what they are carrying and with only one goal: to escape the bombings that have been ravaging the region for days.
The Israeli armed forces themselves have made it clear that they will move away from areas where Hezbollah is located or that they will they could be hurtwhich has prompted thousands of Lebanese from the south of the country to begin their exile to the north. “If you find yourself in or near a building occupied by Hezbollah, leave the city immediately and stay 1 km away,” the Israeli armed forces said in a call that residents received on their phones, in Arabic and coming from a Lebanese number.
A day marked by attacks on several regions of LebanonIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he is only keeping his promise to change the situation. “the balance of power” on the northern border with Lebanon. And to do this, he used against Hezbollah an argument that he had already used against Hamas: it is not that Israel kills civilians, it is that its enemies use them as human shields.
For its part, the Lebanese militia reacted to this massacre and announced the launch of dozens of missiles against Israeli military installations. This escalation of tensions comes a week after the device explosion -attributed to Israel- and an Israeli attack on Beirut, which left almost a hundred dead and more than 3,000 injured.
Spanish government calls for “an end to the spiral of violence”
Israel’s reaction has the world worried. The Spanish government on Monday condemned the latest Israeli bombings in southern and eastern Lebanon, which have left hundreds dead, and called on Israel and the Shiite militia Hezbollah to end the “spiral of violence” and avoid war “at all costs.”
In a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government expressed “its deep dismay and condemnation of the Israeli bombings (…) in response to Hezbollah’s attacks this weekend against Israel”, after the Lebanese authorities reported more than 270 dead and more than a thousand injured.
“The spiral of violence must stop”supported the Executive, defending that “war must be avoided at all costs.” In this sense, the government maintained that “all parties must respect the lives of civilians and the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.”
Furthermore, this Monday, the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, recognized that the situation is “absolutely worrying” and “dramatic“. Of course, he confirmed that there were no casualties or injuries among the Spanish contingent and that all soldiers are safe in the bunkers. “They have a very high morale, they always give me peace of mind,” Robles said.
UNIFIL warns escalation of violence would lead to ‘devastating consequences’
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) warned on Monday that a Escalation of violence in the Middle East This will have “devastating consequences” for “the entire region,” comments that come just hours after Israeli forces carried out a series of bombings against positions in Lebanon.
Thus, UNIFIL expressed in a statement its “great concern for the safety of civilians” in southern Lebanon in the face of “the largest bombing campaign carried out by Israel” since last October, the date of the attacks by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) against Israeli territory.
The head of the mission, Commander Aroldo Lázaro, said he was in contact with the Israeli and Lebanese sides, although he took the opportunity to stress the importance of “reducing violence.” “Measures are being put in place to reduce tensions and stop these attacks,” he said of the bombings that have so far killed more than 180 people.
“Any escalation of this dangerous situation will have devastating consequences, not only for those living on both sides of the Blue Line but also for the entire region,” he said of the border between Lebanon and Israel.
Regarding civilian casualties, he recalled that “attacks against civilians represent a violation of international law and a war crime“, which is why he called for a diplomatic solution and asked all parties to “prioritize the lives of civilians and ensure that they are not put in danger.”
To achieve this, he continued, it is “essential to fully commit to UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which is now more vital than ever to understanding the causes of the conflict and ensuring lasting stability,” he concluded.
US boosts troops in Middle East amid Israel-Hezbollah tensions
The Pentagon confirmed Monday that it has reinforced its troops in the Middle East with the additional deployment of a “small number” of soldiers amid heightened tensions between Israel and the Shiite militia Hezbollah.
“In light of heightened tensions in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we have sent a small number of additional U.S. military personnel to augment our existing forces in the region,” Pentagon spokesman General Patrick Ryder said at a news conference.
The United States has already deployed troops to the region, including the aircraft carrier Lincoln, although the Pentagon spokesman did not detail how many troops they will deploy to the region or their role “for security reasons.”
