'We are almost in a full-fledged war,' warns EU foreign affairs chief

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EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has warned that the escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah are on the brink of all-out war.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon – the deadliest since the 2006 war – have killed more than 490 people, including at least 90 women and children, Lebanese authorities said.

“I can say that we are almost in a full-fledged war,” Mr Borrell said on Monday as world leaders gathered in New York for the UN General Assembly. “We are seeing more military strikes, more damage, more collateral damage, more victims.”

In a recorded message, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Lebanese civilians to follow Israeli eviction orders, saying: “Take this warning seriously.”

Thousands of Lebanese residents have fled from the south, leading to heavy traffic on the main motorway from the port city of Sidon to Beirut, the largest such flight in the country since 2006.

When asked by The National about the possibility of a ground incursion following Israeli air attacks, Mr Borrell noted that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has repeatedly signaled that a full-fledged war is the only solution.

He urged world leaders attending the UN General Assembly to push for a solution. “Here in New York is the moment to do that. Everybody has to put all their capacity to stop this path to war,” he said.

Efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, which has faced relentless Israeli strikes since October 7, have stalled, leaving uncertainty over any progress to defuse the escalating situation on the Lebanese-Israeli border.

“The worst scenario is materialising,” Mr Borrell added. “The worst expectations are becoming reality, and we need peace in the Middle East because the ongoing escalation is a danger for the whole region.”

Israel said it killed a “large number” of Hezbollah militants when it hit about 1,300 sites in southern and eastern Lebanon, including a “targeted strike” in Beirut.