The foreign ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) countries on Sunday urged all actors involved in the current Middle East crisis to refrain from any steps that could further escalate the conflict.
“We call on the parties concerned to desist from any initiative that could hinder the path of dialogue and moderation and encourage a new escalation,” the G7 Italian presidency said in a statement.
During a videoconference to discuss the latest developments, the ministers expressed strong concern over events that “threaten to lead to a regionalization of the crisis, starting with Lebanon,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reported.
The extraordinary meeting was convened following a recent surge in tensions in the region.
Escalation intensified after the assassinations of Lebanese group Hezbollah’s senior military commander Fouad Shokor in Beirut and Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.
Earlier, a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights resulted in the deaths of 12 children and teenagers.
Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah blamed Israel for the attacks and threatened retaliation. Israel claimed responsibility for Shokor’s death as a response to the Golan strike but did not confirm involvement in Haniyeh’s assassination.
Since then, exchanges of fire and rockets across the Israel-Lebanon border have intensified, prompting increased diplomatic efforts to contain the crisis.
“We reaffirmed the priority of a successful conclusion of negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, and confirmed our commitment to intensify humanitarian aid to the populations of the Strip,” the G7 presidency emphasized.
Also on Sunday, Italy’s foreign minister urged all Italians temporarily in Lebanon to leave the country due to “the worsening situation” and advised citizens to avoid traveling there. Italy joined several other governments, including France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Jordan, in issuing such advisories.
(Cover: Ruins following Israeli bombardment of Al-Nasr School that housed displaced Palestinians, Gaza Strip, August 4, 2024. /CFP)
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G7 FMs urges efforts to avoid escalation of Middle East conflict
cgtn.com
