Switzerland calls for de-escalation in Lebanon amid Israeli ground offensive

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - Switzerland on Tuesday said it is “deeply concerned” over the security escalation in Lebanon, urging dialogue and de-escalation between conflicting parties.

In a post on X, the Swizz Foreign Ministry said: International law, including humanitarian law, must be respected."

The ministry's remarks came after the Israeli military announced launching a “limited and targeted” ground operation in southern Lebanon.

Since Sept. 23, Israel has launched massive airstrikes against what it calls Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, killing more than 1,057 people and injuring over 2,950 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Several Hezbollah leaders have been killed in the assault, including its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Hezbollah and Israel have been engaged in cross-border warfare since the start of Israel's war on Gaza, which has killed nearly 41,600 people, most of them women and children, following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last October.

The international community has warned that Israeli attacks in Lebanon could escalate the Gaza conflict into a wider regional war.