The European Union’s top diplomat said Tuesday there was “no excuse” for Israel to refuse to implement a ceasefire with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, saying all its problems security had been taken into account in the agreement negotiated by the United States and France.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s outgoing foreign policy chief, called for increased pressure on Israel to blunt government hardliners who refuse to accept the deal. Speaking on the sidelines of a Group of Seven meeting in Italy, Borrell warned that if a ceasefire was not implemented, “Lebanon would collapse.”

Israeli officials said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet was scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss a proposed ceasefire. Among the remaining questions is Israel’s demand to reserve the right to act if Hezbollah violates its obligations under the current agreement.

Borrell said the United States would chair a ceasefire implementation committee, but France would participate at Lebanon’s request.

“Regarding the proposed agreement negotiated by the United States and France, Israel has all security concerns (resolved),” Borrell told reporters in Fiuggi, Italy. “There is no excuse for not implementing a ceasefire. Otherwise, Lebanon will collapse.

Hezbollah began attacking Israel on October 8, 2023, a day after Hamas attacked southern Israel, sparking more than a year of fighting. This escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and an Israeli ground invasion of the south of the country. Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets at Israeli military bases, towns and villages, including some 250 projectiles on Sunday.

In the Gaza Strip, more than 44,000 people were killed and more than 104,000 injured 13 month war between Israel and Hamas, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

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Israeli airstrikes hit buildings near Beirut airport

BEIRUT — Israeli planes struck at least six buildings in Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday, including one near the country’s only airport.

Large plumes of smoke could be seen around the airport near the Mediterranean coast, which continued to operate despite its location next to a densely populated area suburbs where many Hezbollah operations take place are based.

The strikes come hours before a planned Israeli cabinet meeting to discuss a proposal to end fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. The proposal calls for an initial two-month ceasefire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah would end its armed presence along the southern border, south of the Litani River.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from Tuesday’s airstrikes.

Top European diplomat calls for urgent aid to Gaza

FIUGGI, Italy — The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he had proposed to G7 and Arab ministers who joined talks Monday that the Council UN Security Council adopts a resolution specifically demanding that humanitarian aid reach Palestinians in Gaza. saying deliveries were completely hampered.

“The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as a weapon against completely abandoned people. »

This was a reference to the main charge made by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister.

Borrell said the court’s signatories, including six of the seven G7 members, are required under international law to respect and implement the court’s rulings.

Host country Italy put the ICC arrest warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of the G7 response given that the United States, Israel’s closest ally, called the mandates “scandalous.”

Italy also said it respected the court, but expressed concern that the arrest warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given that Netanyahu is necessary for any agreement to end conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

“Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is as powerful a court as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if Europeans do not support the International Criminal Court, there will be no hope of justice,” he said.

Borrell, whose term ends Dec. 1, said he had proposed to G7 and Arab ministers who joined the talks Monday that the U.N. Security Council adopt a resolution specifically demanding that the Humanitarian aid is reaching Palestinians in Gaza, saying deliveries have been completely hampered.

“The two-state solution will come later. Everything will come later. But we are talking about weeks or days,” for desperate Palestinians, he said. “Hunger has been used as a weapon against completely abandoned people. »

This was a reference to the main charge made by the International Criminal Court in its arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister.

Borrell said the court’s signatories, including six of the seven G7 members, are required under international law to respect and implement the court’s rulings.

Host country Italy put the ICC arrest warrants on the G7 agenda at the last minute, but there was no consensus on the wording of the G7 response given that the United States, Israel’s closest ally, called the mandates “scandalous.”

Italy also said it respected the court, but expressed concern that the arrest warrants were politically motivated and ill-advised given that Netanyahu is necessary for any agreement to end conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

“Like it or not, the International Criminal Court is as powerful a court as any national court,” Borrell said. “And if Europeans do not support the International Criminal Court, there will be no hope of justice,” he said. (edited)