EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged Israel to halt its attacks in Lebanon, which she said went beyond self-defense against Hezbollah and endangered the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement.
“Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the war, but Israel’s right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction,” Kallas wrote in a post on X. “Israeli strikes killed hundreds last night, making it hard to argue such heavy-handed actions fall within self-defense.”
The criticism comes after Lebanon’s health minister said at least 203 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday, ramping up pressure on Israel to wind down its campaign against Hezbollah following similar criticism from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
Both Kallas and Guterres have accused Israel of endangering a ceasefire deal that U.S. President Donald Trump announced earlier this week with Tehran, but which looks increasingly shaky as Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz over the attacks in Lebanon.
But Israel shows no signs of backing down.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday his country would “continue to strike Hezbollah with force, precision, and determination,” and “Whoever acts against Israeli civilians—will be struck.”
Israel and the U.S. argue that Lebanon is not covered by the ceasefire agreement. But Tehran has said it will only hold up its end of the deal if Israel stops its attacks in Lebanon, where Israel Defense Forces are attacking Hezbollah, a militant group and political party that is closely aligned with Iran.
The criticism from Kallas is likely to further strain relations between the EU and Israel, which hit rock bottom over Israel’s war in Gaza, when Brussels downgraded its trading relationship with Israel. Further tensions have flared up amid strong criticism of violent West Bank settlers and the ongoing campaign against Hezbollah.
