Top EU diplomat calls for 'immediate ceasefire' in Lebanon
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EU foreign policy chief claims that the European Union is ready to provide 200 million euros to support Lebanon’s army, which plays a crucial role in the truce negotiations.
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A handout photo released by the Lebanese parliament press office on November 24, 2024, shows Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri (R) meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borell in Beirut (Lebanese Parliament /AFP)
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the ongoing Israeli war on Lebanon during his visit to Beirut for talks.
"We see only one possible way ahead: an immediate ceasefire and the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701," Borrell stated following a meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who has led mediation efforts from the Lebanese side.
He reflected on his previous visit in September, saying, "Back in September I came and was still hoping we could prevent a full-fledged war of Israel attacking Lebanon. Two months later Lebanon is on the brink of collapse."
"We must pressure the Israeli government and maintain the pressure on Hezbollah to accept the US proposal for a ceasefire," he asserted, adding that "this proposal is pending with the final agreement with the Israeli government.”
Speaking at a news conference in Beirut, Josep Borell also urged Lebanese leaders to pick a president to end a two-year power vacuum in the country.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign policy chief claimed that the European Union is ready to provide 200 million euros to support Lebanon’s army, which plays a crucial role in the truce negotiations, knowing that while he was holding talks, "Israel" attacked a Lebanese army checkpoint, killing one soldier and injuring 18 others.
UN Syria envoy calls for 'immediate ceasefire' in Gaza, Lebanon
Earlier today, the UN special envoy for Syria said that ending the fighting in Lebanon and Gaza is "extremely critical" to prevent Syria from being drawn into a regional war.
Ahead of a meeting with the Syrian Foreign Minister in Damascus, Geir Otto Pedersen said, "We need now to make sure that we have immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, that we have a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that we avoid Syria being dragged even further into the conflict."
3,645 killed, 15,355 injured in 'Israel's' aggression on Lebanon
The Lebanese Ministry of Health and the Health Emergency Operations Center announced in their daily report on Friday evening that the death toll from the Israeli aggression on Lebanon has risen to 3,645 martyrs and 15,355 injured since the start of the war.
The Health Emergency Operations Center's daily report, issued by the Ministry of Health, stated that Thursday’s toll alone stood at 62 martyrs and 111 injured.
Israeli occupation forces have continued intensifying the brutal airstrikes on various Lebanese villages and towns in southern Lebanon, particularly in the districts of Tyre and Nabatiyeh, extending to the Southern Suburb of Beirut, and reaching the Bekaa Valley and Baalbek.
The attacks not only destroyed civilian infrastructure, such as residences, commercial buildings, and private properties but also massacred civilians unable to evacuate their homes and areas.
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
