President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has announced €100 million in aid for Lebanon, as it suffers from continuous Israeli missile strikes.
“Good call with President Joseph Aoun. I expressed Europe’s solidarity with Lebanon and its people. We are providing EUR 100 million in humanitarian support. Yesterday, we delivered over 40 tonnes of supplies and we plan to organize more humanitarian flights. I welcome the government’s decision to ban all Hezbollah military activities and its call to end all hostilities. We must ensure a sovereign and stable Lebanon for its people,” she wrote on X.
Since Israel began its onslaught of attacks against Lebanon, over 700,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, including approximately 200,000 children, writes Do Rzeczy, citing UN data. UN data also shows that 486 people, including 84 children, have been killed, and 1,313 have been injured, including 259 children, since the fighting began.
On Sunday morning, a missile struck the Ramada Hotel in central Beirut, killing four and injuring 10. Immediately after the attack, Reuters reported that the hotel was also home to people who had fled the fighting in southern Lebanon.
A few days ago, Anouar El Anouni, the spokesperson for EU affairs, stated: “The EU calls on Israel to cease all actions that violate resolution 1701 and the ceasefire agreement reached a year ago in November 2024,” according to The Times of Israel.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas also condemned Israel, calling on the country to “cease its operations in Lebanon,“ writes EUNews. She further questioned the motive behind Netanyahu’s justification for the bombing, i.e., Hezbollah’s support of Iran, saying that it now “risks dragging Lebanon and its population into a war that is not theirs, with serious humanitarian consequences.”
Israel has made it clear that it is preparing a ground invasion of Lebanon, with plans to even permanently occupy southern areas of the country.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun warned that the ongoing conflict is “taking a devastating toll” on the country’s population. He pointed out that many displaced people now lack shelter and access to basic necessities. Aoun also proposed a four-point plan to end the conflict, which includes a complete ceasefire, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and international support for the Lebanese Armed Forces.
