Berlin: Leaders of five Western countries stressed in a joint statement on Monday the need to "avoid" a large-scale Israeli ground operation in Lebanon.
The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom said in the statement that “a large-scale Israeli ground offensive would have devastating humanitarian consequences and could lead to a protracted conflict.”
They warned that “the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, particularly the ongoing mass displacement of the population, is truly very worrying.”
The leaders of the five countries also condemned “Hezbollah’s decision to join Iran in hostilities,” and called on it to “lay down its weapons.”
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the Israeli aggression against Lebanon since March 2nd has resulted in 886 martyrs, including 111 children, 67 women, and 38 health sector workers, in addition to 2,141 wounded.
The Lebanese government’s Disaster Risk Management Unit reported in its daily report that “the total number of self-registered displaced persons is 1,049,328”, including more than 132,000 in 622 shelters.
Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced on Monday that the Israeli army had launched a ground operation in Lebanon to protect Israeli citizens. He stated, "Residents south of the Litani River will not return to their homes until the safety of residents in northern Israel is guaranteed."
