Israel brings war to Beirut and forces Lebanese army to respond

Israel continues its insane war operation in the Middle East and, despite international appeals made at the UN Security Council, the country has extended its attacks to the capital of Lebanon, Beirut.

The land invasion that was announced only for the border region was not respected and is advancing into the territory. It is estimated that 2,000 Lebanese have already been killed, while Israel has lost at least nine officers and dozens of soldiers, which could increase the number to more than 50 casualties.

Meanwhile, around a million people left their homes in fear of Israeli bombings, according to the UN.

This Wednesday (3), the Lebanese army responded to attacks on Israeli firing sources after one of its soldiers was killed in the Bint Jbeil region.

Read more: UN Security Council brings no glimmer for peace in the Middle East

The regrettable situation under the pretext of only hitting Hezbollah targets and which has already killed thousands of innocent people has led Iran to enter the conflict.

The fear of an unprecedented escalation in the war is closely monitored by the UN. According to what was stated at the Security Council meeting, Israel promises to retaliate against Iran for the 200 missiles launched against its territory. US President Joe Biden has shown support for such an act.

Blue Line

Before the land invasion, Israel maintained a routine of bombings in southern Lebanon. Since then, the UN has advocated respect for the Blue Line through resolution 1701.

Created in 2006, the so-called Blue Line (Israeli-Lebanese border) was created with the purpose of bringing a resolution to the Lebanon War and maintained stability in the region for some time. It establishes “the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon and an end to weapons smuggling in the region”.

Read more: Lula acts quickly and guarantees rescue flight for Brazilians in Lebanon

In order to respect resolution 1701, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean Pierre Lacroix, said this Thursday that 10,058 UN peacekeepers remain “united and committed” to maintaining their positions on the Blue Line to the protection of civilians.

Even though these soldiers are not used in combat, only in the process of protecting and maintaining peace, an attack by Israel that comes to victimize the known “blue helmets” of the UN could imply a new chapter on the excesses of the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Brazil condemns Israel’s statement

Last Wednesday (2), Israel made the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, persona non grata and even said that he would be banned from entering the country.

The act that undermines global diplomacy was rejected by the Brazilian government. The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a note saying that the act “strongly harms the efforts of the United Nations in favor of an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and a process that allows the realization of the two-State solution, with an independent and viable State of Palestine living side by side with Israel, in peace and security.”

Check out the full statement below:

The Brazilian government regrets and condemns the decision of the Israeli government, announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel Katz, to declare the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, as “persona non grata”.

Such an act severely undermines the efforts of the United Nations in favor of an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and a process that allows the realization of the two-State solution, with one State of Independent and viable Palestine living side by side with Israel, in peace and security, within the 1967 borders, which includes the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The Israeli government’s attack on an Organization that was established to save humanity from the scourge and atrocities of World War II and to protect fundamental human rights and human dignity does not contribute to the peace and well-being of the Israeli populations and Palestine and moves the region away from a peaceful solution.

By expressing its solidarity with Secretary-General António Guterres, Brazil reaffirms the importance of the United Nations, notably its General Assembly and its Security Council, in efforts for a ceasefire and a two-State solution.

*With information from international agencies