Foreign Secretary calls for ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon as death toll rises

The UK Government has urged a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as the death toll from Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah rose to nearly 500 people.

Thousands of people have been fleeing southern Lebanon since the attacks from Israel began on Monday, according to Associated Press.

The country’s health minister said the strikes have killed 492 people, and wounded a further 1,645.

It is the deadliest barrage since the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.

Lebanon responded by firing 55 rockets into northern Israel on Tuesday, according to Israel’s military. Several people were wounded, it said.

On Monday night, Foreign Secretary David Lammy called for an immediate ceasefire ahead of a meeting of G7 ministers.

‘Alarmed’

Mr Lammy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Deeply alarmed by rockets and air strikes in Lebanon and Israel and resulting civilian casualties. Further escalation risks even more devastating consequences.

“I repeat my call for an immediate ceasefire on both sides, which I will emphasise when I meet G7 ministers tonight.”

Senior government minister Pat McFadden has said that everyone in the region needs to be able to live in peace. The hostilities between the neighbouring countries come alongside the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, which was triggered by the 7 October terrorist attack by Hamas.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has told all British nationals in Lebanon to leave and has advised against all travel to the country.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told LBC: “What needs to happen in the long run is that everybody in this region can live in security.

“We tend to focus on the immediate hostilities, the immediate outbreak, and I understand in a news sense why we do that.

“But if you’re asking me about the longer term, we want everybody in that particular part where all this shelling is going on at the moment to be able to return home in peace.

“There’s 60,000 Israelis who have not been able to live in their homes for the best part of a year now because of this back and forth shelling from Hezbollah and southern Lebanon, but also the people in southern Lebanon to be able to live in peace without this threat of constant war back and forth over the border.”

In a recorded message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese civilians to heed Israeli calls to evacuate, saying: “Take this warning seriously.”

“Please get out of harm’s way now,” Mr Netanyahu said. “Once our operation is finished, you can come back safely to your homes.”

Airstrikes

Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said the army would do “whatever is necessary” to push Hezbollah from Lebanon’s border with Israel.

Rear Admiral Hagari claimed Monday’s widespread airstrikes had inflicted heavy damage on Hezbollah.

Monday’s heavy bombardment sent thousands fleeing from south Lebanon. Hotels in Beirut were quickly booked to capacity and apartments in the mountains surrounding the capital were snapped up by families seeking safe accommodations.

Some offered up empty apartments or rooms in their houses in social media posts, while volunteers set up a kitchen at an empty gas station in Beirut to cook meals for the displaced.