The escalation between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah could trigger a full-blown regional war, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has warned ahead of the annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations headquarters.
Tensions between the Jewish state and Hezbollah have spiked after thousands of electronic devices exploded across Lebanon last week, in a covert attack widely believed to have been orchestrated by Israel. While Hezbollah and Israel had routinely exchanged fire since the onset of the conflict in Gaza, last week marked far heavier airstrikes between the two.
“There is great concern about... the possibility of an escalation in the region leading to an all-out regional war,” Abdelatty told AFP in an interview published on Friday. The recent sharp rise in hostilities has “negatively impacted” Gaza ceasefire negotiations, he added.
Egypt, Qatar, and the US have “complete determination” to continue their efforts towards brokering a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Hamas and Israel, the top diplomat said.
“All the components of the deal are ready. The problem is the lack of political will on the Israeli side.”
Abdelatty blamed “provocative” Israeli policies for the recent spike in violence with Hezbollah, which has vowed support for Palestinians. Egypt is talking with international allies about the “importance of working to stop the escalation and stop the unilateral and provocative policies that Israel is carrying out,” Abdelatty added. A wider regional conflict “does not serve the interests of any party,” he stressed.
Israel claims to have killed two top Hezbollah commanders and a dozen other officers in an airstrike last week. The militant group has confirmed the deaths of two of their senior officers.
On Sunday, Israel’s Chief of the General Staff, Herzi Halevi, said the military struck Hezbollah last Friday as a preemptive measure, accusing the paramilitary group of planning a large-scale attack similar to the one Hamas carried out in Israel on October 7. The strike was “also a message to the entire Middle East and beyond it,” as Israel knows “how to reach anyone who threatens the citizens of the State of Israel,” Halevi stated.
Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli officials. Hamas released more than 100 captives as part of a deal last November. Ceasefire and hostage release talks continue, although it is unclear how many of the remaining hostages are still alive. To date, more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the subsequent Israeli military operation, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.