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Germany Warns Israel: Stop Turning Southern Lebanon Into Battlefield
(MENAFN) German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul issued a stark warning to Israel on Tuesday, cautioning against transforming southern Lebanon into an active battlefield and insisting that civilian populations must not be made to shoulder the burden of Jerusalem's campaign against Hezbollah.
Speaking in Berlin following a bilateral meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, Wadephul said Germany is "deeply concerned" about deteriorating conditions in southern Lebanon, where Israel has steadily expanded its military footprint since March.
The German foreign minister condemned Hezbollah's aggression while drawing a firm line on civilian protection: "We condemn Hezbollah's attacks on Israel in the strongest possible terms. They must finally end. At the same time, Lebanon must not become a war zone where civilians pay the price, where the younger generation grows up in the ruins of their homes — that won't make Israel's neighborhood any safer."
Wadephul tied long-term stability in Lebanon to the reinforcement of state authority in Beirut, arguing that Hezbollah's grip on armed power must be broken through the Lebanese government's assertion of its exclusive right to the use of force. Berlin, he added, firmly backs the prospect of direct Lebanese-Israeli dialogue.
"I encourage both sides to take this step further," he said. "What is needed now is a viable agreement to protect civilians on both sides of the Blue Line, ensure the safety of UNIFIL peacekeepers, and achieve long-term peace."
The scale of the humanitarian toll underscores the urgency of those calls. Since March 2, Israel's military offensive in Lebanon has killed nearly 2,700 people and wounded an additional 8,264, while forcing more than 1.6 million — roughly one-fifth of the country's entire population — from their homes, according to official figures.
A 10-day ceasefire that entered into force on April 17 was subsequently extended through May 17, yet Israel has continued to carry out daily violations of the truce, including airstrikes and the systematic demolition of residential structures across southern Lebanon.
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