The United States seemed out of step with the rest of the world when it pledged support for the Israeli ground invasion of Lebanon.

As voices from around the world urged a ceasefire and a step back from the brink of all-out war on Tuesday, Washington declared the “limited” ground offensive in southern Lebanon as “Israel’s right to defend itself.”

Israeli forces advanced into Lebanon overnight on Tuesday in a widely expected move. The army said in a statement that the raids were “limited, localized and targeted” against Hezbollah.

However, the advance raises the risk of a wider escalation of fighting with the Iran-backed armed group or even across the region, and the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Japan have all quickly expressed concerns.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he told his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, that Washington agrees on the need for a ground offensive to clear Lebanon’s southern border area of ​​Hezbollah weapons and other assets targeting it. country can use to carry out attacks across the border.

“I have made it clear that the United States supports Israel’s right to defend itself,” Austin said.

I spoke today with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss security developments and Israeli operations. I have made it clear that the United States supports Israel’s right to defend itself. We agreed on the need to dismantle the attack infrastructure along the border…

— Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III (@SecDef) October 1, 2024

The White House National Security Council issued a similar statement on Tuesday, justifying Israel’s “limited operations.”

It also added that it remains opposed to expanding the ground attack and that a diplomatic solution is the only way to achieve lasting stability along Israel’s border with Lebanon.

‘Most dangerous’

Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati warned that his country is facing “one of the most dangerous phases of its history” and urged the United Nations to provide aid to a million people displaced by Israeli attacks in recent weeks .

“We urgently call for more assistance to strengthen our ongoing efforts to provide basic support to displaced civilians,” Mikati said during a meeting with the UN representatives.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, announced the launch of a $426 million “flash call” for urgent humanitarian assistance to civilians caught up in the conflict.

“Without sufficient resources, humanitarians risk leaving the people of an entire country without the support they urgently need,” Riza warned.

However, he added that no amount of aid can fully address the crisis if civilians continue to be targeted.

Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the UN rights office, warned of “a large-scale ground invasion” that would only result in “more suffering.”

‘Territorial integrity’

The new phase of the Israeli operation caused alarm to spread rapidly throughout the Middle East.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon condemned the offensive, saying it violated Lebanon’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “deep concern” over the escalation of fighting and “reaffirmed its firm position on Lebanon’s unity, national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

The statement called for international support to prevent further escalation and stressed the importance of providing full protection to civilians.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has “ordered the delivery of an urgent aid package of $100 million to the Lebanese people,” the ministry added.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi warned on X that “aggression against Lebanon will inflict the worst.”

“Now more than ever, the country needs our continued support to ensure the country’s integrity and security. Support for the brotherly people of Lebanon is not only a moral obligation, but an imperative necessity,” he said.

Further afield, the response was unanimous, calling for a cessation of hostilities and warning of the dangers of a regional conflagration.

The Japanese government urged an immediate ceasefire and maximum restraint to prevent further escalation of the conflict.

Russia warned that “the geography of hostilities is expanding, further destabilizing the region and increasing tensions.”

Spain’s foreign minister demanded that Israel halt its ground attacks to prevent conflict in the region.

Italy, chairman of the rich democracies of the Group of Seven (G7), said it would continue working on de-escalation.

New NATO chief Mark Rutte said he is “closely following what is happening in Lebanon” and expressed hope that “hostilities will end as soon as possible.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy warned that the price of a regional war would be enormous. He added that London is speaking to Iranian counterparts and urging restraint, but made no mention of any similar contact with Israel.

Northern Arrows

Israel launched the raid, dubbed Northern Arrows – the first ground offensive in Lebanon since the 2006 war – on Monday evening, after more than a week of intense airstrikes on the capital, Beirut and southern Lebanon.

Those raids killed hundreds of people, including senior Hezbollah commanders and the armed group’s head, Hassan Nasrallah.

The Israeli military claims the ground invasion aims to push Hezbollah north of the Litani River, about 30 km from the Israeli-Lebanese border, making the group comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1701.

On Tuesday, UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force, warned that “any crossing into Lebanon is a violation of Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a violation of resolution 1701.”