Italy Calls Meeting of G7 Leaders Over Escalation in Middle East
People displaced by Israeli bombing in Lebanon, Oct. 2024. X/ @The_NewArab
October 2, 2024 Hour: 7:28 am
French President Macron asked Israel to end forthwith its military operations in Lebanon.
On Wednesday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for a virtual meeting of the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) to discuss the escalation of the war in the Middle East between Israel and Iran.
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The time of the meeting has not yet been decided, pending the coordination of the agendas of the heads of state. Currently, Meloni is the rotating president of the G7, the group of the most industrialized countries that includes Italy, Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Japan and the United Kingdom.
“Italy will continue to commit to a diplomatic solution” to the crisis in the Middle East, Meloni said, mentioning that Italy will also propose to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to assess the possibility of strengthening the United Nations Interim Force for Lebanon (UNIFIL) to guarantee security on the border between Israel and Lebanon.
On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron asks Israel to end forthwith its military operations in Lebanon. He also expressed his wish that Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity would be restored in strict compliance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
Macron reaffirmed his country’s commitment to UNIFIL, adding that France will stand alongside all those acting in this direction and will very soon organize a conference in support of the Lebanese people and their institutions.
The French president also reiterated his determination to reach a long-term settlement that ensures the security of the populations on both sides of the Blue Line, the UN-drawn provisional border between Israel and Lebanon.
“The displaced must be able to return home in complete safety, in Israel as well as in Lebanon,” Macron stressed, calling on all parties involved to exercise the utmost restraint.
teleSUR/ JF Sources: EFE – Xinhua
