At the same time, Stano hinted that both sides were to blame for the escalations: “Successive waves of attacks and retaliations have been fueling an uncontrollable spiral of conflict,” he said. “The EU remains fully committed to contribute to lower the tensions and to avert a dangerous regional war.”
On Friday, Israel conducted an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, that killed Hezbollah’s long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah. In August, meanwhile, Israeli intelligence killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh while the militant group’s leader was in Tehran for the inauguration of the country’s new president, Mahmoud Peszkesian.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock added her voice to those calling for restraint, saying “we have urgently warned Iran about this dangerous escalation. Iran must stop the attack immediately. It is driving the region further to the brink of the abyss.”
The dramatic spike in the conflict comes after almost a year of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, the militant group that controls much of south Lebanon and is part of the Iran-backed ‘Axis of Resistance’ that has stepped up attacks since the start of the war in Gaza.
Since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, Israel’s military offensive in the Palestinian exclave has killed more than 40,000 people, according to local health officials.