France demands restraint from Israel in Lebanon
Israel is said to have killed a senior leader of the Islamist Hamas in Beirut. Lebanon now fears being dragged into the Gaza war by a Hezbollah backlash. Meanwhile, French President Macron is calling on Israel to avoid "escalating behavior in Lebanon".
Following the killing of the number two of the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas in Lebanon, French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Israel to show moderation. As the Elysée Palace announced late on Tuesday evening, Macron said in a telephone conversation with the Israeli minister and member of the war cabinet Benny Gantz that it was "essential to avoid any escalating behavior, especially in Lebanon". France would continue to convey this message "to all actors directly or indirectly involved in the area", he said.
A few hours earlier, the number two of the Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas, Saleh al-Aruri, was killed in a drone attack attributed to Israel on the Hamas office on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital Beirut. He is the deputy head of Hamas' political bureau and thus the highest-ranking leader of the terrorist organization to have been targeted and killed during the Gaza war.
According to Hamas, which is allied with Hezbollah, a total of seven people died in the attack, including two leaders of Hamas' armed wing. The terrorist organization immediately blamed Israel. While Israel's military would not comment on reports of the targeted killing of Saleh al-Aruri, the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon announced retaliation on Tuesday evening: "This crime will never pass without a response or punishment."
That evening, the militia claimed to have carried out a first attack on a group of Israeli soldiers near the border. There were deaths and injuries. According to Israeli media reports, the army is now also expecting longer-range rocket fire.
Hezbollah's tunnel system comes into focus
The attack on Saleh al-Aruri was the first on the Lebanese capital since the start of the war. Until now, the clashes between the Israeli army and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia - an ally of the Palestinian Hamas - had been limited to the border areas in the south of Lebanon. Regular shelling between Hezbollah and Israel's army near the border has increased since the start of the Gaza war three months ago. Hezbollah is considered to be far more powerful than Hamas.
Like Hamas, it is also said to have a tunnel system which, according to a media report, is far more sophisticated than that of Hamas. The underground tunnels run for hundreds of kilometers in southern Lebanon all the way to the border with Israel, the "Times of Israel" quoted intelligence expert Tal Beeri as saying on Tuesday.
Lebanese government wants to prevent Hezbollah's reaction
According to a media report, the government in Lebanon is in contact with Hezbollah in order to prevent a possible backlash. The acting foreign minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, told the British radio station BBC 4 on Tuesday evening that his government was talking to Hezbollah in order to "convince them that they should not react themselves."
The next 24 hours would show whether Hezbollah would respond or not, Bou Habib said. "We are very worried, the Lebanese don't want to be dragged into this, even Hezbollah doesn't want to be dragged into a regional war." He called on Western states to "put pressure on Israel to stop all its violence and all its actions, not only in Lebanon, not only in Beirut, but also in Gaza". The government in Lebanon is only able to act to a limited extent. The country is currently led by Prime Minister Nadschib Mikati on a caretaker basis. For over a year, the election of a president has repeatedly failed due to power struggles within the political elite.
Macron wants a "lasting ceasefire"
In his talks with Israeli Minister Gantz, French President Macron also reiterated his call to work towards a "lasting ceasefire" between Israel and Hamas with the help of "all regional and international partners", according to the Elysée Palace.
In addition, Macron once again expressed his "deepest concern about the very high number of civilians killed" and the "absolute humanitarian emergency" in the Gaza Strip, the presidential palace explained. At the same time, the President reaffirmed France's "commitment to Israel's security".
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- In response to France's call for restraint, Israeli Minister Gantz discussed the situation with President Macron, emphasizing the need to avoid any escalating behavior in Lebanon, especially given the presence of Hezbollah and its alleged sophisticated tunnel system.
- Lebanese officials are reportedly in contact with Hezbollah leaders to prevent a potential backlash following Israel's drone attack in Beirut, which allegedly killed a senior Hamas leader.
- The Israel-Hamas conflict has led to concerns that Lebanon may become further involved, as tensions rise between Israel and Hezbollah, which shares ties with Hamas and reportedly has a complex tunnel system near the border.
- Amid the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, Western states, including France, are being urged to exert pressure on Israel to halt its aggressive actions, not just in Lebanon and Beirut, but also in the Gaza Strip, to prevent further civilian casualties.
Source: www.ntv.de
