Security Council Holds Emergency Meeting to Discuss Developments  in Lebanon

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday afternoon  (June 1st)  at the request of France to discuss developments in the war in Lebanon following the Israeli occupation army's seizure of the historic fortress of al-Shukif in the south of the country, diplomatic sources told AFP on Sunday.

"This meeting will be held immediately after another emergency meeting requested by Romania against the background of a rally hitting a building in Galati," the sources said, adding that "it is scheduled to take place at 15:00 (19:00 GMT)."

Egypt calls for de-escalation

In this context, Egypt on Sunday called on the UN Security Council to stop the Israeli escalation and land incursions in Lebanon, warning of chaos in the region.

This came in a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in a recorded speech about the occupation of the strategic fortress of al-Shukif in southern Lebanon.

In the statement, Egypt said that it "condemns in the strongest terms the Israeli military escalation on the brotherly Lebanese Republic and the continuation of the brutal aggression, which was embodied in the expansion of the scope of the ground incursion into southern Lebanon."

Egypt stressed that "this dangerous development represents a complete violation of Lebanese sovereignty and a blatant aggression that reveals Israel's premeditated intentions to impose a new military reality on the ground, in a grave violation of all norms, rules of international law and the UN Charter."

Egypt stressed its "categorical rejection of any infringement on the Lebanese national territory," reiterating its "support for the unity of the Lebanese state, its national institutions and the integrity of its territory."

Egypt called for "an immediate and complete Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory," stressing that "Israel's continued expansion of military operations would result in an explosion of the situation."

Cairo stressed "the need for the Security Council and international actors to carry out their responsibilities urgently and decisively to stop the Israeli aggression immediately."

According to the Foreign Ministry statement, Egypt warned that "the continuation of this escalation will lead to more chaos and instability in the region at a time when regional and international parties are making intensive diplomatic efforts to de-escalate and unite tension in the region."

France is the first convener of the Security Council

The French Foreign Minister announced on Sunday, May 31, that his country had requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council after the Israeli occupation army took control of the strategic fortress of al-Shukif in southern Lebanon.

"I asked for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council because if we recognize Israel's right, like any country, to legitimately defend itself, against Hezbollah attacks, nothing justifies the extension of Israeli military operations in Lebanon and its wider occupation of Lebanese territory," Jean-Noël Barrow told BFMTV.

"It is a grave mistake by Israel because this advance on Lebanese territory is not only contrary to Israel's commitments, as long as there has been a ceasefire in Lebanon since April 17, but also contradicts international law and Israel's interests and security," he said.

"Every village is bombed, every village is occupied, every civilian is killed, (all of this) strengthens Hezbollah," Barrow said.

Israel boasts of controlling al-Shukif

Israeli officials raced to celebrate the capture of the strategic al-Shukif fortress, with Netanyahu on Sunday (May 31st) calling his forces' takeover of al-Shukif fortress in southern Lebanon a "decisive shift" in the attack on Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Netanyahu said in a video statement: "The control of the Shqif Fortress is a decisive transformation (...) We have broken the barrier of fear as we work on all fronts, in Syria, Gaza and Lebanon."

Israeli War Minister Yisrael Katz wrote on his Telegram channel: "After 44 years and on the day of commemoration of the soldiers who fell in the First Lebanon War (1982), the soldiers returned to the top of the Shukif fortress and raised the Israeli flag over it again."