Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has expressed “deep concern” at the deteriorating conditions in Lebanon and requested that the sovereignty and integrity of the country’s territory be preserved. In a statement put out by the Saudi foreign ministry yesterday, the Kingdom clearly reiterated Lebanon’s sovereignty and at the same time called upon the international community to take necessary measures to safeguard regional stability.
The statement was after a devastating weekend of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon, following the reports of more than 100 casualties from attacks on various targets from the Lebanese health ministry on Sunday alone. Violence only intensified with Israel’s targeted airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, churning up intensified fears of further retaliation.
Saudi Arabia emphasized urgent international action to prevent the situation from spiraling into a broader regional conflict, saying: “The Kingdom calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities towards protecting regional peace and security to spare the region and its people the dangers and tragedies of wars.”
Tensions are still running high since Israel, in anticipation of a possible ground attack by Hezbollah, is increasingly being advised by the international community to contain its activities in light of the possibility of a wider Middle East conflict.