Nicosia, May 28 (IANS) The European Union is looking at possible European initiatives to stabilise southern Lebanon after the UN’s peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL) ceases operations, said Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Thursday.
The mission ceases operations at the end of December and starts to withdraw its personnel over the following year.
“We discussed this, but ultimately a decision will have to be made, and we will have to see if it can be implemented,” Tajani told reporters in Limassol, Cyprus, where he was attending an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, Adnkronos news agency reported.
“We are evaluating what joint European initiatives we can adopt to help stabilise the situation, to strengthen the legitimate Lebanese authorities and thus avert a new war that could primarily affect civilians in the south of the country,” he said.
Tajani also urged Israel to de-escalate its strikes against pro-Iran militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon as Israeli forces bombed southern Lebanon including the city of Tyre, and the capital, Beirut, after large-scale evacuation orders telling residents to move north of the Zharani River, about 40 kilometres from the Israeli border, warning it would act with “extreme force”.
“We must de-escalate the situation and ensure that a comprehensive peace agreement can be reached on Iran and Lebanon,” Tajani continued.
“There is a need to disarm Hezbollah and build a Lebanese state free from fundamentalist diktats. At the same time, Israel must understand that it cannot bomb areas where there are civilians,” Tajani said.
Tajani said he was especially concerned about villages in southern Lebanon bordering Israel.
“We have also decided to provide funding for these communities through development aid, because these are people who are suffering from a war for which they bear no responsibility,” he said.
–IANS
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