'Israeli aggression risks regional crisis'

ISLAMABAD:

The Foreign Office on Tuesday condemned Israel's continued military aggression against Lebanon, warning that it could further exacerbate the already fragile security and humanitarian situation in the region where Iran's conflict with the United States and Israel drags on.

The FO statement came amid the escalating tensions across the Middle East following US-Israeli strikes on Iran that assassinated Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The strikes have triggered wider regional instability, with Iran launching retaliatory attacks on US bases in Gulf states.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said Israeli air strikes and evacuation orders have forced nearly 700,000 people to flee their homes in Lebanon within just over a week, AFP reported.

In a statement issued today, the FO said: "The Israeli actions, which are in contravention of international law, are undermining the efforts of the Government of Lebanon to ensure peace and stability and have the potential to further exacerbate the ongoing security and humanitarian crises in the region."

The FO urged the international community to take urgent steps to halt the Israeli military operations, indiscriminate targeting of civilians and the continued violations of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.