Egypt on Sunday strongly condemned what it described as Israel’s escalating military actions in Lebanon, warning that an expanded ground offensive in the country’s south threatened regional stability and violated Lebanese sovereignty.
In a statement issued by the foreign ministry, Egypt said the widening of Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon reflected a “blatant aggression” and an attempt to impose a new reality on the ground.
Cairo said the development represented a serious breach of international law and the United Nations Charter, and reaffirmed its rejection of any infringement on Lebanese territory.
Egypt also renewed its support for Lebanon’s unity, state institutions and territorial integrity, calling for a complete Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory and the full implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The statement said Lebanese state institutions, particularly the Lebanese army, should be able to exercise exclusive authority across the country’s territory.
Egypt warned that continued expansion of Israeli military operations risked further deterioration of the situation and called on the U.N. Security Council and influential international actors to take urgent action to halt the conflict.
It said continued escalation could lead to greater instability and disorder across the region at a time when regional and international parties were pursuing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions.
The statement was issued amid heightened regional concerns over the risk of a broader conflict involving Lebanon and Israel.