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Lebanese FM Kicks off European Tour in Pursuit of Ceasefire

Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Lebanese FM Kicks off European Tour in Pursuit of Ceasefire

Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Lebanese caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib kicked off on Sunday a European tour in pursuit of a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah and to garner support for the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701.

He will visit Italy, France, Spain and the Vatican.

Israel’s war on Hezbollah is in its fourth week and efforts have so far failed in reaching a ceasefire.

US envoy Amos Hochstein and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit are meanwhile expected in Beirut on Monday.

In Italy, Bou Habib will take part in a G7 meeting at the invitation of his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani.

He will explain Lebanon’s position in calling for a ceasefire and ending the Israeli hostilities through the full implementation of resolution 1701 and bolstering the deployment of the army south of the Litani River.

He will also ask for immediate humanitarian aid for the 1.2 million people who have been displaced by the fighting.

In Paris, he will hold talks with senior UNESCO officials to discuss means to protect Lebanese heritage sites and the education sector.

On Thursday, he will join caretaker Prime Minister and the Lebanese delegation at the Paris conference on Lebanon.

Bou Habib will be in Barcelona on Sunday and Monday to attend the Union for the Mediterranean foreign ministers meeting before returning to Beirut.

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Arab World

Israel Deliberately Targets Medical Teams, Aid Workers in Lebanon

Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
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Israel Deliberately Targets Medical Teams, Aid Workers in Lebanon

Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)
Volunteers from the Lebanese Red Cross rescue a woman in the city of Nabatieh in South Lebanon (AFP)

Over the past three weeks, Israel has systematically targeted hospitals, medical staff, aid workers, and ambulances across various regions of Lebanon, particularly in the heavily bombarded southern areas.
Tel Aviv appears intent on erasing signs of life and sustainability, especially south of the Litani River, aiming to turn the region into scorched earth and establish a buffer zone by force. The exact size of this zone, who will control it, and whether it will involve a permanent occupation remain unclear.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abiad recently stated that Israel is “deliberately and systematically” targeting medical teams, revealing that 13 hospitals are no longer operational, more than 150 healthcare workers have been killed, and over 100 medical centers and 130 ambulances have been targeted.
Last week, Nicolas von Arx, the regional director for the Near and Middle East at the International Committee of the Red Cross, issued an urgent call to protect healthcare personnel, ambulances, hospitals, and primary care centers, expressing deep concern over the attacks on medical facilities.
The Islamic Health Authority, affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that over 80 rescue workers have been killed in the past year, 70 of them in the past three weeks alone. The Scout Association of Amal Movement reported losing 21 members. Meanwhile, the Israeli army recently announced that any vehicle suspected of carrying armed militants would be considered a legitimate military target, regardless of its type.
Sobhiya Najjar, a public policy expert and coordinator of the Social Protection for All campaign at the Center for Social Science Research Applications (CESSRA), highlighted that the destruction of Lebanon’s healthcare system is systematic and mirrors what is happening in Gaza. She noted that Lebanon’s healthcare system, particularly in regions like Baalbek-Hermel, Bint Jbeil, and Tyre, was already fragile.
Najjar told Asharq Al-Awsat that Israel targets medical centers, staff, ambulances, and firefighting services to weaken Hezbollah’s ability to treat the wounded and provide essential healthcare, thus increasing pressure on the health system.
This strategy sows chaos and fear among civilians, weakening morale and hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid, including medical and food supplies. She stressed that such actions violate international laws, which protect medical teams as neutral entities.
Paul Morcos, head of the legal organization Justicia, added that while Israel claims medical facilities and ambulances are used to hide weapons and militants, indiscriminate attacks that endanger doctors, nurses, patients, and civilians are prohibited under international law. He cited the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their protocols, which mandate taking precautions to avoid harm to civilians and ensure proportionality in military operations. These rules, he emphasized, have become customary and are binding on all nations.
For her part, political activist Dr. Mona Fayyad described these actions as part of a “genocide” committed by Israel, deliberately preventing the rescue of the wounded. She criticized the international community’s silence and argued that even if some medical personnel support Hezbollah, there is no justification for risking civilian lives under any pretext.