World leaders are raising the alarm about a “full-blown” war and calling for de-escalation after devastating Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon heightened regional tensions amid Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza.
The attacks, which began on Monday and continued into Tuesday, were Israel’s fiercest on its northern neighbor and resulted in the highest single-day death toll in Lebanon since the end of the 1975-1990 civil war.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 492 people were killed in Monday’s attacks, including 35 children and 58 women. More than 1,600 people were injured in the attacks, which hit civilian areas across the country, while tens of thousands of people were forced to flee southern areas.
Here are some reactions:
United Nations
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned about the escalating situation along the Blue Line,” referring to the demarcation line that separates Lebanon from Israel and the occupied Golan Heights, as well as “the large number of civilian casualties.”
His spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief was also “deeply concerned about the safety of civilians in both southern Lebanon and northern Israel, as well as for UN personnel working in those areas.”
UNICEF chief Catherine Russell pointed to the “dangerous escalation” that threatens “countless” children.
There are also reports of “alarming levels of psychological distress” among children due to the displacement and the artillery and air strikes, she said, calling for immediate de-escalation.
Iran
Iran, an ally of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which says it is in Israel’s sights, accused Israel of trying to drag Iran into a conflict with “irreversible consequences.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian said: “We want to live in peace, we do not want war,” adding: “It is Israel that wants to provoke this full-scale conflict.”
“We know better than anyone that it would not benefit anyone in the world if a major war broke out in the Middle East,” he said.
In an interview with CNN, the president said: “We must not allow Israel to turn Lebanon into a second Gaza.”
“Hezbollah cannot stand alone against a country that is defended, supported and supplied by Western countries – European countries and the United States of America,” he told the broadcaster.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the attacks “insane” and said they would have “dangerous consequences.”
Jordan
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for a global response to de-escalate the conflict and accused Israel of “aggression.”
“We stress the urgent need for the (UN) Security Council to take immediate action to contain Israeli aggression.”
Egypt
The Foreign Ministry called on the UN Security Council to intervene and condemned any “violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
Egypt, which plays a key role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, has repeatedly warned against a regional escalation, saying it threatens to “drag the region into a full-scale regional war.”
Egypt expressed its “solidarity” with Lebanon and said it “continues its efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”
Qatar
The Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s aggression “in the strongest possible terms.”
“The ongoing escalation is primarily due to the lack of any deterrence for Israel’s actions, its continued repeated violations of international law and its persistent impunity,” it said in a statement.
“This reality is exacerbating crises, pushing the region to the brink and exposing it to further tensions that will have profound repercussions at the regional and international levels,” it added.
Saudi Arabia
The Foreign Ministry said it was following developments in Lebanon with “great concern” and called on “all parties to exercise extreme restraint.”
It stressed the importance of respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty, while calling on the international community to play a role in de-escalation in the region.
United Arab Emirates
The Gulf state expressed its “deep concern” and reiterated its stance against “violence, escalation, uncalculated actions and reactions that disregard the laws governing interstate relations and sovereignty,” state media reported.
United States
The United States, which has supplied Israel with billions of dollars’ worth of weapons since the Gaza war began and is leading a laborious mediation effort between Israel and Hezbollah, still harbors hope that the two parties could step back from the brink of war.
“My team is in constant contact with their counterparts and we are working to de-escalate the situation so that people can return home safely,” said President Joe Biden, who met with United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the White House.
Although the Pentagon said the U.S. was sending additional troops to the Middle East in response to developments in Lebanon, spokesman Patrick Ryder did not provide any details on the size of the additional forces or their specific mission.
The US has about 40,000 troops stationed in the region.
“Given the increasing tensions in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are deploying a small number of additional U.S. troops to augment our forces already stationed in the region. However, for operational security reasons, I will not comment or provide details,” Ryder said.
Group of Seven
The G7 called for a “stopping of the current destructive cycle” that could catapult the “entire Middle East into a larger regional conflict with unimaginable consequences.”
“Actions and counter-reactions risk exacerbating this dangerous spiral of violence,” said a statement from the G7, which consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
United Kingdom
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he was “deeply concerned” about the ongoing air strikes in Lebanon and Israel.
“Further escalation risks even more devastating consequences. I reiterate my call for an immediate ceasefire on both sides,” he posted on the social media platform X.
European Union
Foreign Minister Josep Borrell warned that “we are almost in a full-blown war” and called for comprehensive efforts to de-escalate the situation at the UN General Assembly in New York.
Pointing to the increasing number of civilian casualties and the intensity of Israeli attacks, he said: “If this is not a war situation, I don’t know what to call it.”
“Here in New York is the moment. Everyone must use all their strength to stop this path to war,” he added.
Greece
The country, which was elected as a member of the UN Security Council for 2025-2026 earlier this year, said the escalation showed a collective international failure.
“We have not prevented the crisis from spreading, and the further the war spreads, the more difficult it will be to find a solution to the situation,” Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis told Reuters.
“Lebanon could easily become a zone of enormous hostility, and we cannot deal with that. It is a clear minefield.”
France
France said the attacks on both sides of the border must “end immediately” and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to resolve the conflict.
“I am thinking of the Lebanese people because Israeli attacks have just killed hundreds of civilians, including dozens of children,” said Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot. “These attacks on both sides of the Blue Line and throughout the region must stop immediately.”
Belgium
Deputy Prime Minister Petra de Sutter said she was “shocked” by the number of victims of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
“492 lives lost in Lebanon. +1600 injured. Tens of thousands ordered to leave their homes. In one day,” she wrote on X.
“This horrific attack by Israel will not lead to a solution for the region. Only diplomacy can bring citizens home safely. Only a ceasefire will end the suffering,” she added.
China
Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China firmly supports Lebanon in safeguarding its sovereignty and strongly condemned Israel’s attacks.
“We are closely monitoring developments in the region, especially the recent explosion of communications equipment in Lebanon, and firmly reject indiscriminate attacks on civilians,” Wang told his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Wang said China will stand on the “side of justice and on the side of Arab brothers, including Lebanon,” the statement said.
Russia
The Kremlin said the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah posed the risk of destabilizing the region.
“It is, of course, a potentially very dangerous event” that risks expanding the conflict area and “completely destabilizing the region,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
Democracy for the Arab world – now
The US-based nonprofit said Israel’s actions showed it “wanted a full-scale regional war, not only in the occupied Palestinian territories but also in Lebanon and Iran.”
“The only way to stop his unbridled belligerence is to stop rewarding him with more and more American weapons,” said Raed Jarrar, DAWN’s advocacy director.
“Without an end to Israeli attacks in the region, there will be no path to peace and the consequences will be felt far beyond Lebanon’s borders.”
Save the children
The UK-based group highlighted the impact of the conflict on children who are forced to flee their towns and villages with their families.
“We are seeing strikes in dozens of cities, families desperately trying to flee with whatever they can carry, children crying and frightened by the noise of drones and fighter jets,” said country director Jennifer Moorehead, noting that about 1.5 million children are unable to attend school because of the conflict.
