Germany promises another 60 million euros in humanitarian aid to Lebanon, while Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warns that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could lead to the “complete destabilization” of the country.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced the aid late Wednesday during a telephone call with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said.
Baerbock visited Beirut on Wednesday and warned of dangerous consequences for the wider Middle East if the conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militia were to escalate further.
“A complete destabilization of the country would be fatal for the most religiously diverse society in the Middle East, and also for the entire region,” Baerbock said in the Lebanese capital ahead of talks with Lebanese politicians and aid organizations.
The visit, which was not previously announced for security reasons, was Baerbock’s first trip to Lebanon since Israel escalated its conflict with Hezbollah in September, with a ground offensive on southern Lebanon and a wave of airstrikes in Beirut, amid the main fighting in the United States . country since the 2006 war.
The Israeli operation has killed hundreds of Lebanese and prompted hundreds of thousands to flee southern Lebanon.
The situation has intensified in recent days, with major rocket attacks on Hezbollah targets in Beirut.
Baerbock said in Beirut that Israel’s campaign “has succeeded in significantly weakening the terrorist organization Hezbollah.”
She was due to travel on to Paris on Thursday to take part in an international aid conference for Lebanon, which will focus on providing support to Lebanon’s war-affected people and rebuilding the country into a stable, functioning state.
Participants include Lebanon’s international partners, the UN, the European Union and various regional and civil society organizations.
“Now we must work with our partners in the US, Europe and the Arab world to find a viable diplomatic solution that protects the legitimate security interests of Israel and Lebanon,” Baerbock said.
The minister said the key to peace lies in UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls on Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon to protect the residents of northern Israel.
The Lebanese army – which has tried to remain neutral in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah – has an important role to play in enforcing the resolution, Baerbock said, ahead of talks with its top commander, Joseph Aoun.
Tight meeting schedule
Amid repeated Israeli attacks on the Lebanese capital in recent days, Baerbock’s visit followed a tight schedule, with the exact times and locations of her meetings communicated to Israel in advance.
She met for the first time the speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, whose close ties are seen with Hezbollah.
At a Lebanese Red Cross crisis response center, she was informed by humanitarian workers who said they had recently come under fire despite announcing their efforts.
In a statement, Baerbock stressed that the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is becoming increasingly desperate amid ongoing fighting.
She condemned “how irresponsibly terrorists hide behind civilians and continue to fire rockets at Israel,” while demanding that Israel respect international humanitarian law and protect innocents.
She also insisted that UN peacekeepers must be protected after a number of attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in recent weeks were blamed on Israeli forces.
“Any deliberate attack on UN peacekeepers is a violation of international humanitarian law,” she warned.
Baerbock later held a video call from the German embassy in Beirut with UNIFIL commander Aroldo Sáenz and Richard Kesten, the German admiral leading UNIFIL’s maritime task force.
Baerbock demands aid for North Gaza, defends weapons for Israel
Baerbock also called on the Israeli government to allow more humanitarian aid to northern Gaza, while defending ongoing arms shipments to Israel.
Germany’s foreign minister said the situation “especially in northern Gaza is becoming more desperate by the day” amid a new Israeli offensive.
Northern Gaza has been under lockdown for 19 days, Baerbock said, with humanitarian aid “just trickling in.”
Earlier this year, the Israeli government promised to “flood” the Gaza Strip with aid, Baerbock recalled. “This humanitarian aid must arrive in Gaza,” she stressed.
“There is an obligation under international law to provide humanitarian assistance,” she added.
She further emphasized the International Court of Justice’s ruling that Israel must provide aid to civilians in Gaza.
“This order is binding on Israel and its government under international law,” she stressed.
However, Baerbock emphasized that Germany continues to support Israel in its right to self-defense “also with weapons.”
All arms deliveries are subject to international humanitarian law, she asserted.
“The Israeli government bears the responsibility to ensure that international humanitarian law is respected,” the minister said.
