Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The federal institutions in Brussels published a joint statement issued by the European Union, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The statement said: “The situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8, 2023 is intolerable and poses an unacceptable risk of a wider regional escalation. This is in no one’s interest, neither the people of Israel nor the people of Lebanon.

The time has come to reach a diplomatic settlement that will enable civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes safely.

However, diplomacy cannot succeed while this conflict is escalating. We therefore call for an immediate 21-day ceasefire along the border between Lebanon and Israel to provide space for diplomacy towards a diplomatic settlement consistent with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735 on the Gaza ceasefire.

We call on all parties, including the governments of Israel and Lebanon, to immediately support a temporary ceasefire in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 during this period, and to give a real chance to reach a diplomatic settlement.

We stand ready to support all diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching an agreement between Lebanon and Israel during this period, building on the efforts made over the past months, to end This is quite the crisis.