Ireland: Israel’s attacks on Lebanon risk an all-out war

Israeli attacks on Lebanon risk “an all-out war with profound consequences for the region and the world,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said yesterday.

His remarks came in a statement published after a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York.

Harris said: “We continue to see a dangerous escalation and loss of life in the Middle East.”

“I utterly condemn the bombing of civilian areas in southern Lebanon by Israel and the firing of rockets towards civilian areas in Israel by Hezbollah,” he added.

“Gaza is in ruins and in desperate need of the world’s help. Opening a second front in Lebanon would be a disaster, risking an all-out war with profound consequences for the region and the world.”

Since Monday, the Israeli army has been bombing Lebanon in the most violent and intensive attack in almost 20 years, killing more than 620 people, including children and women, and injuring over 1,930. About 390,000 people have been displaced as a result of the bombing, according to the latest data from the Lebanese authorities.

READ: Israel army says it is preparing for ground operation in Lebanon