Egypt calls for Israel-Lebanon de-escalation as UNGA gets under way

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty concerned by possibility of ‘full-fledged regional war’

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty at the UN headquarters in New York. AFP

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Egypt’s Foreign Minister has told The National he is deeply concerned by the situation at the Israel-Lebanon border and urged the Israelis and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to use restraint.

In an interview in New York, where world leaders this week are gathering for the UN General Assembly, Badr Abdelatty described Israel’s recent strikes in Lebanon, in which at least 492 people have been killed and 1,645 injured, as “unilateral actions” that were “violating the sovereignty of Lebanon”.

“We are very, very concerned about the escalation which could destabilise the security and the territorial integrity of Lebanon,” he said on Monday.

Egypt has played a crucial mediating role in the war in Gaza but Mr Abdelatty said Israel’s insistence on maintaining a security presence along the Salah Al Din (Philadelphi) corridor was a non-starter.

“Nobody can accept the continuation of the killing machinery every day against civilians in Gaza. So that's why we are working very hard with the Americans, with the Qataris, in order to reach a deal which will, of course, ensure an immediate ceasefire and release of all hostages,” he said.

“Our position is very clear … No single Israeli presence on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing or in the Philadelphi corridor.”

Israel has dramatically increased its attacks on Lebanon in recent days. The country is presumed to have been behind two attacks last week targeting Hezbollah members by detonating thousands of their pagers and walkie-talkies.

On Friday, Israel killed senior Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil in a strike on a Beirut suburb and has continued to pound the country.

Hezbollah has responded by striking deeper into Israel than in any previous attacks since October 8, when the two sides began an escalating series of retaliatory exchanges.

Israeli strikes killed hundreds of people in Lebanon on Monday, while the Iran-backed group fired rockets as far as the occupied Palestinian West Bank, where hundreds of thousands of Israelis live in illegal settlements.

“We are deeply concerned and we are worried about dragging the whole region into a full-fledged regional war that will be disastrous for all countries, and no country will be out of the impact of this possible escalation,” Mr Abdelatty said.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, said he was concerned about the large number of civilian casualties being reported by the Lebanese authorities, and the thousands of displaced people, amid the most intense exchange of fire across the Blue Line since last October.

“All involved parties in this conflict must honour their responsibilities to protect civilians and ensure the safety and security of all UN personnel and assets,” Mr Guterres's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric ,said in a statement.

The UN General Assembly's high-level debate opens on Tuesday for a crucial week of diplomacy that will be dominated by the conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and the risk of all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel.

US President Joe Biden will address other world leaders during the session's opening hour, followed by presentations from Iran, Qatar, Morocco and other nations. Other Middle Eastern countries will speak later in the week, with the UAE's address scheduled for Saturday.