European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on Saturday for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip after the martyrdom of Yahya Sinwar, head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), and stressed the need to strengthen the mission mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL). .
Borrell added in statements to reporters at a meeting of the G7 defense ministers in Naples, Italy: “After the killing of Sinwar, there has become a new scene and we must exploit it to reach a ceasefire, release the remaining (Israeli) hostages, and search for a political horizon.”
On the other hand, Borrell suggested strengthening the mandate of UNIFIL’s mission, and said: “They cannot act independently. It is certainly a limited role. Expanding the role could be considered, but this requires a resolution from the United Nations Security Council.”
On the X website, Borrell stressed the need to take major steps in Lebanon, including an “immediate ceasefire” and “a stronger mandate for UNIFIL forces.”
“There is a new political context in Lebanon, full of risks, but which may also lead to changes,” he wrote. “The most important thing is the possibility of the country finally building its full sovereignty, which is being undermined by external actors.”
He called for the implementation of “Resolution 1701,” which established a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah after a devastating war they fought in the summer of 2006.
In related statements to Tel Aviv Tribune, Borrell confirmed that UNIFIL is present in Lebanon based on a mandate from the Security Council and not from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres.
He also stressed that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached its worst levels ever and called for opening the door to bring more humanitarian support into the Gaza Strip.