The recent face-to-face meeting between EU top diplomat Josep Borrell and Lebanon’s interim Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut unveils a crucial chapter in the context of current tensions in the Middle East. The meeting is part of Borrell’s regional tour linked to the ongoing conflicts and crises in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.
Before setting foot in Beirut, Borrell visited Cyprus and Jordan, forming a series of strategic meetings at the heart of a region beset by major geopolitical challenges. His meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a central figure in the ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah, promises key developments in the peace process.
However, the exchanges between the protagonists cannot hide the shadow of persistent violence. The Israeli airstrike on a building in Shmustar, Baalbek region, resulted in the tragic loss of 17 lives, including a mother and her four children, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The tragedy highlights the precarious living conditions of affected families, who are unable to flee conflict zones due to limited resources.
Since the outbreak of open conflict between Israel and Hezbollah last September, the figures for human losses and population displacement have continued to rise. Israeli attacks have already claimed the lives of more than 3,500 people in Lebanon, according to Health Ministry statistics, while more than 1.2 million Lebanese have been forced to flee their homes, representing a quarter of the country’s population.
On the Israeli side, some 50 civilians and nearly 90 soldiers have been killed in the bombings and clashes that have been raging in northern Israel in particular. These human losses are putting unbearable pressure on both societies, torn apart by years of intermittent conflict and deadly reprisals.
While diplomatic talks attempt to ease regional tensions, civilian populations continue to suffer the pangs of relentless and devastating violence. The expectation of a peaceful resolution remains a fragile hope in a context marked by pain and desolation.
This bloody impasse calls for increased international mobilization, and Josep Borrell’s visit to Beirut resonates as a symbol of the common will to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East. The challenges remain immense, but the urgency of finding peaceful solutions is more pressing than ever.