In a joint statement on Wednesday, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq warned that Israel is “pushing the region towards a full-scale war” as it continues its military campaign in Gaza and intensifies airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
The foreign ministers of the three nations, following a meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, discussed the “ongoing dangerous escalation in the region.” They emphasized that halting this escalation begins with stopping Israel’s aggression against Gaza.
The ministers condemned Israel’s “aggression against Lebanon,” stressing that Israel’s actions are driving the region toward a comprehensive war, according to the statement.
The foreign ministers urged the international community and the UN Security Council to assume their responsibilities in stopping the conflict, noting that Israel bears full responsibility for the deterioration, which will have severe consequences for the entire region.
They also discussed the “course of action within the framework of trilateral cooperation” in preparation for an upcoming summit “at the leadership level in Cairo.”
The meeting of the three ministers comes amid an unprecedented escalation between Israel and Hezbollah since the ongoing conflict between them erupted around a year ago, following the war in Gaza. This escalation has renewed regional and international fears of a broader conflict in the area.
Israel has been conducting intensive airstrikes since Monday, primarily targeting areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, claiming they are hitting Hezbollah targets. In response, Hezbollah has announced the launch of rockets towards northern Israel and military sites.
Lebanese Health Minister Firas Al-Abyad reported that Monday’s airstrikes alone resulted in the deaths of 558 people, most of whom were “innocent civilians,” and over 1,800 injuries. This marks the highest daily death toll in Lebanon since the civil war (1975-1990).
Hezbollah has suffered significant blows in recent days, including the destruction of thousands of its communication devices last week in attacks attributed to Israel, which led to the deaths of 39 people and injuries to thousands more. Additionally, an Israeli airstrike on Friday in Hezbollah’s stronghold in Beirut’s southern suburbs killed several of the group’s elite commanders.
On Wednesday, Hezbollah announced the death of military commander Ibrahim Qabisi in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs on Tuesday, which the Lebanese Health Ministry confirmed resulted in six deaths.
