New Delhi: In a statement at the UNSC, United Kingdom called for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, amid escalating violence between Israel and Lebanon.
UK Deputy Permanent Representative James Kariuki spoke at the UN Security Council, where he expressed concern about the continuous and devastating violence across the region. He highlighted the dreadful scale of civilian suffering on both sides of the Blue Line and expressed deep concern about the civilian casualties resulting from the explosions in Lebanon and Israel’s strike in southern Beirut, particularly the presence of children among the victims. He offered condolences to the families of the civilians killed.
He continued: “My Foreign Secretary made our view clear last night: we need an immediate ceasefire on both sides. We are working in lockstep with our allies to de-escalate tensions and end this destructive cycle.”
“We want to see the implementation of a political plan, based on UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which allows both Israeli and Lebanese civilians to return to their homes and live in peace and security. We are ready to play our role in a diplomatic process to achieve that,” he added.
The UK strongly condemned the ongoing attacks by Hizballah on Israel, saying that the Lebanese militant group had launched an unprovoked attack on 8 October 2023, resulting in a near-daily barrage of Hizballah rockets.