Britain must take more responsibility for war between Israel and Hamas, says Lebanon

Mr Bou Habib said that if the UK does not intervene in the Middle East region, it could «suffer»; triggering a refugee crisis in Europe. Photo: Małgorzata Stepien

Britain has an obligation to contain Israel in its war with Hamas because colonial-era policies contributed to the conflict in the region, the Lebanese foreign minister said.

< p>Abdallah Bu Habib warned against pro-Israel bias and called on British government to take a «more moderate» approach to help establish a lasting peace.

«Britain has a responsibility for what is happening now through the Balfour Declaration,» he told The Telegraph, calling on Britain to rein in its ally.< /p>

He was referring to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which led to British rule of Palestine and laid the foundations of the modern state of Israel.

Mr Bu Habib said Britain's involvement in the current conflict shows it is still «on Israel's side.»

“The US and UK have given the Israelis a license to kill and destroy , and that’s unacceptable,” he said. “The West gave Israel free rein, saying [they have] the right to self-defense.”

Israel invaded the Gaza Strip in response to an attack last month by Hamas, the terrorist organization that rules the Palestinian enclave.

Mr Bu Habib said that if Britain did not intervene in the Middle East, it would could “suffer” by triggering a refugee crisis in Europe.

Lord Arthur Balfour with Governor Sir Ronald Storrs during a visit to Jerusalem in April 1925, while Arab residents went on strike to protest his declaration. Photo: Current Press Agency

“Britain has a role to play,” Mr. Bou Habib said in an interview in Barcelona, ​​where Mediterranean countries were gathering for their annual meeting. “It is still the closest ally of the US.”

If Britain and Europe “do not intervene politically, directly to solve problems in the Middle East, it will be the one that will suffer” as more refugees leave the region and seek safety abroad.

Europe and the Middle East are «very closely interconnected: if one sneezes, the other will catch a cold,» he said.

Although the United States has enormous influence and Israel is its biggest supporter, «the Americans are far away» and will not feel the same influence as Britain and Europe.

The most pressing issue, he said, is to extend the current four-day pause in fighting, allowing for greater exchanges of prisoners and hostages, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

This will also reduce tensions and «we will start thinking about the future the very next day,» he said. “There is no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem; There is only one solution — negotiations.”

He acknowledged that any solution would be difficult to achieve, but not impossible, citing the example of Lebanon. Although Lebanon is still technically at war with Israel, the two neighboring rivals agreed on a maritime boundary last year in a deal brokered by the United States.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the largest source of regional tensions, he said. instability.

“We Arabs sympathize; we use the word 'brothers,'» he said. “We advocate for them and support them in every way possible, but at the end of the day, they are Palestinians and want to live in Palestine.

“I think that if there was a Palestinian state, most Arab states would recognize Israel.” .

However, concerns remain that Hezbollah, a militant organization based in Lebanon, could further escalate the conflict along its shared land border with Israel, triggering a regional war.

Hezbollah, a resistance movement that emerged in the 1980s, has since become the dominant political force in Lebanon and has an armed wing.

Clashes have occurred along the Lebanese-Israeli border in recent weeks, although they have been largely confined to the zone. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah also made it clear that his group will not seek further cooperation at this time.

Big questions remain about the extent of Beirut's influence over Hezbollah. Mr. Bu Habib said talks were ongoing between his government and the group through two Hezbollah-appointed government contacts.

“Both Israel — the IDF — and Hezbollah must stop,” he said, referring to the Force Israeli defense. “It is my government's policy to have nothing on the border… but what if the choice is skirmishes or war? These are skirmishes; everything is not in our hands.”

«A regional war is very difficult, and that's why I don't think anyone wants a regional war,» he said. “Everyone has asked, including Hezbollah, for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”

Mr. Bou Habib emphasized the unanimous call for an immediate ceasefire and a move toward a two-state solution, as outlined in the joint statement. from 57 countries after the extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit held in Riyadh earlier this month.

The final communiqué also called on the International Criminal Court to investigate “war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel” in the Palestinian territories. > Mr Bou Habib said that Britain's involvement in the current conflict shows that it is still “on the side of Israel”. Photo: Simon Walker/10 Downing Street Handout/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Mr. Bou Habib called on the West to open its eyes to how persistently these countries call for peace and “not act as if they are still in power and colonial power.”

“I don’t I say they are a colonial power — no — but sometimes they act this way, it feels like it.”

“In these countries there is a tendency, a strong tendency, that we cannot depend on the West because of the double standards that they demonstrate,» he said.

Countries such as the US and UK have operated with «double standards», criticizing other countries on human rights issues but not doing more to encourage Israel to ceasefire , he added, warning that such actions could lead to more tense relations between Arab and Western countries.

Lebanon was the first country in the region to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, he noted. But he hinted that such moves would be less likely in the future unless countries like the US and UK act more decisively on peace between Israel and Hamas.

“You won't see the Arabs act more decisively.» how they moved in the past.”