Egypt’s foreign ministry urged “international powers and the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action” to halt “the alarming Israeli escalation in Lebanon” on Monday.
Israeli airstrikes claimed the lives of 356 individuals, including 24 children, and displaced thousands in Lebanon, according to the health ministry. This marked the deadliest cross-border escalation since the onset of Israel’s war in Gaza last October.
As a crucial mediator between Israel and Hamas, Cairo has consistently warned against Israeli actions that could escalate tensions in the region, asserting that such moves “risk dragging the area into a full-scale regional war.”
Egypt reiterated its “solidarity” with Lebanon and condemned any violations of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Thousands of families in southern Lebanon have been forced to flee after the Israeli military issued warnings for civilians to distance themselves from targets, threatening further strikes.
This warning marked the first of its kind directed at civilians in Lebanon since the conflict in Gaza began.
World powers have called on both Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah—engaged in months of cross-border clashes in support of Palestinian ally Hamas—to de-escalate and avoid a full-scale war.
Egypt also stated that it “continues its efforts toward a ceasefire in Gaza” in an attempt to restore peace.