- France, Germany, and the UK urge Iran and allies to avoid strikes
- Joint statement calls for de-escalation and ceasefire in the Middle East
- Tensions rise after assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders
France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have urged Iran and its allies to desist from planned strikes on Israel in response to the recent assassinations of prominent Hamas and Hezbollah members.
On Monday, the leaders of the three European governments released a joint statement urging “de-escalation and regional stability” in the Middle East, as well as an immediate ceasefire.
The death of two Iran-aligned leaders last month heightened global concern that the battle in Gaza will expand into an all-out regional warfare.
Despite increasingly urgent pleas for calm, both parties continue to issue threats while Israel’s bombardment of Gaza continues. Meanwhile, low-level clashes persist on the Israel-Lebanon border.
We call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages,” read the statement signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The trio also supported the recent efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a solution to end Israel’s 10-month conflict with Hamas.
“The fighting must end immediately, and all hostages held by Hamas must be released,” the statement concluded. “The people of Gaza need urgent and unfettered delivery and distribution of aid.”
Iran is poised to carry out Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s directive to “harshly punish” Israel, which it blames for the killing of Hamas senior leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
The militant Lebanese group Hezbollah has also pledged retaliation after Israel claimed to have assassinated its senior commander, Fuad Shukr, in Beirut.
Iran and Hezbollah insist they are not seeking an all-out conflict, but they are prepared if one breaks out.
The Israeli military command is also said to be apprehensive of open warfare as it continues its battle in Gaza and fights against Hamas. However, the country’s conservative political leaders appear eager to continue aggressive language and call for more military action.
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Hezbollah said that an Israeli air attack on Sunday killed two of its fighters. On Monday, the Lebanese organization reportedly fired 30 rockets into northern Israel.
The United States also ordered a guided missile submarine to the Middle East on Sunday, as well as the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, to sail more quickly to the region, amid mounting concerns about the rising regional war. It initially announced the deployment of more resources there last week, including an aircraft carrier.
The European statement followed a similar message from US President Joe Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who endorsed a three-phase framework demanding Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the return of captives held in Gaza to their families, and the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian aid.
At the same time, together with the United States, all three European countries continue to send weaponry to Israel. However, it is alleged that the new UK government has essentially frozen new export permits while conducting a review.
