Egypt Mediates to Avoid Lebanon-Israel Conflict

The Egyptian foreign minister said that talks are underway with Lebanese and Israeli parties to avoid “engaging in all encompassing confrontations”.

In a joint press conference with his Jordanian counterpart, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said that recent meetings aimed to stop this “grave scenario” on the Lebanese front.

“We are intensifying our communications with our brothers, with various Lebanese parties, as well as the effective regional and international parties to defuse the crisis and avoid the scourge of engaging in all encompassing confrontations that will lead to the ignition of the Lebanese front, which will have grave consequences and risks for Lebanon, the Lebanese people, the Arab area, and the entire region. We are also in talks with the Israelis, and as you know there have been meetings in the past two days and there are meetings today in Qatar, because the main issue is the Israeli aggression against Gaza,” he added.

The Jordan foreign minister, Ayman Safadi said “There are a lot of efforts but unfortunately, we have all failed in the international community up to now in ending this fierce aggression, in ending this barbarism, to restrain Israeli retaliation.”

Hezbollah began firing at Israeli targets on the border in support of Palestinians after its ally Hamas launched the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that precipitated the war in Gaza.

It has repeatedly labeled its attacks as a "support front" aimed at drawing Israeli military resources away from Gaza and supporting Palestinians.

Tens of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese have been forced to evacuate from the area around the border between the two countries and international observers have warned in recent weeks of the growing risk of a wider conflict.