Israel continues deadly attack on Lebanon as cabinet votes on ceasefire agreement

The Israeli army continues to bomb southern Lebanon and the capital Beirut, even as the Israeli security cabinet meets to discuss a ceasefire proposal with Hezbollah. A powerful explosion rocked apartment buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Monday after an Israeli warning on the social media site X urging people to evacuate or face death. Similar Israeli attacks across Lebanon killed at least 31 people in just 24 hours. The sustained attack came after Lebanon’s foreign minister expressed hope that Israeli leaders would agree to a ceasefire proposal later today. Under the agreement, the Israeli army will withdraw from southern Lebanon within 60 days, and the Lebanese army will be deployed to border areas where Hezbollah has launched rocket attacks on Israel.

In Italy, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for more pressure on extremist members of the Israeli government who refuse to forge a ceasefire.

Josep Borrell: “There are no excuses for a ceasefire in Lebanon. As for the proposed agreement negotiated by the US and France, Israel has every security doubt. There is no excuse for not implementing a ceasefire. Otherwise, Lebanon will fall apart.”

Josep Borrell also called on EU member states to honor the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Gaza. Borrell cited widespread support for MCK arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Josep Borrell: “You cannot clap when the court speaks against Putin and remain silent when the court speaks against Netanyahu.”

The Syrian government says Monday’s Israeli airstrikes injured at least two people and damaged several bridges in Homs province near the border with Lebanon. The Israeli military said it was targeting Iranian arms smuggling routes through Syria to Hezbollah.