UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for an end to Israeli strikes on Lebanon and for Lebanon to be included in the Middle East ceasefire.
“We call for Lebanon to be included, urgently, in the ceasefire,” Starmer told the British Parliament.
“Hezbollah must disarm, but I am equally clear that Israel’s strikes are wrong. They are having devastating humanitarian consequences and pushing Lebanon into a crisis. The bombing should stop now.”
Starmer called US President Donald Trump’s remarks about the destruction of Iranian civilisation wrong.
“In relation to the language about destroying a civilisation, can I really be clear with this House? That was wrong. A threat to Iranian civilians in that way is wrong,” he said.
The escalation between Israel and the Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon began on the night of March 2, when the Lebanese movement resumed missile attacks on Israeli territory amid a sharp deterioration in the regional situation. In response, Israel launched large-scale strikes on Lebanon, and on March 16, announced the beginning of a ground operation in southern Lebanon.
Following reports of a two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States, Hezbollah suspended operations against Israel but resumed them after massive Israeli strikes on Lebanon.
Iran and Pakistan, which is mediating the peace process, called the attacks on Lebanon a violation of the ceasefire.
US President Donald Trump claims Lebanon was not included in the ceasefire agreement.
