Belgium urges all parties to exercise maximum constraint amid heightened tension in Mideast

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Belgium on Monday urged all parties to exercise maximum constraint amid heightened tension between Israel and Iran as well as Lebanese Hezbollah.

“Belgium calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint,” said Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib on X following a phone call with her Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib.

“Stability is crucial for Lebanon, the region, and its people,” she added.

Separately, following a phone call with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide reiterated on X that his country is “deeply concerned about regional escalation in the Middle East.”

“Jordan is a stabilizing force. We continue to push for a ceasefire in Gaza and exchanges (of) views on how to contribute to regional de-escalation,” he added.

Around 40,000 Palestinians have been killed over the last 10 months since Israel launched a brutal onslaught against the Gaza Strip that began on Oct. 7 following an attack by Palestinian resistance group Hamas.

The assault has led to increased regional tensions, with the latest escalation occurring last week when Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated during a visit to Iran.​​​​​​​