“Lebanon doing its best not to get involved…”: Envoy calls for ‘peaceful solution’ to West Asia conflict

New Delhi [India]: Calling the situation in West Asia ‘volatile’ and worrisome’ due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Lebanese Ambassador to India Rabie Narsh said that the country calls for a ‘peaceful solution’ to the conflict, adding that ‘two-state solution’ is the only solution to the crisis.

“The situation in Lebanon is volatile. It’s tense and worrisome, of course. We are worried because we have experienced Israeli aggression. We know that Israel is a real threat. And we have experienced the harsh aggression of Israel. So yes, we are worried and the situation is very tense”, the Lebanese Ambassador told media during an interview here.

“But at the same time, we are doing all our efforts to keep the situation limited to what we have seen in the exchange of fires. We call for a peaceful solution to the crisis. This solution will only be the two-state solution that all the international community has been calling for”, the envoy added.

On the possibility of Hezbollah joining the ongoing conflict amidst the speculations of a two-front war, the envoy said that ‘there is a possibility of escalation’ but his government is ‘doing its best not to get involved in this conflict.’

“Given the fact that the societies in the Middle East are so interrelated that we consider ourselves the Arab race. I mean, one family or one people. So what hurts a Palestinian would hurt a Syrian, a Lebanese and every Arab. So, given this fact and the fact that the human loss is unbearable, what we have seen in Gaza is genocide, as well as ethnic cleansing from the Israeli side. So, there is a possibility of course of escalation,” said the Lebanese envoy.

“But having said that, again, our government is doing all its best not to involve Lebanon or not to drag Lebanon into this war. We are not interested in war, but obviously, Israel is interested in war. That’s why they kept provoking Hezbollah and provoking the situation by bombing homes in southern Lebanon”, added the envoy.

Talking further about Iran’s involvement in the ongoing conflict, the envoy said that according to what he has heard, ‘Iran doesn’t want to get involved’.

“I don’t speak for Iran. I mean, they speak for themselves, but what I’ve heard is that they are not involved. I mean, they don’t want to get involved. And so far, you know, the situation has been there for three weeks–more than three weeks–with no involvement from Hezbollah or Iran. It’s only one side attack, from Israel, on the Palestinian and civilian infrastructure of Palestine. Like I said, it is ethnic cleansing. It is a genocide by Israel. It’s madness and this madness has to stop,” said the Lebanese envoy.

Earlier, the head of Lebanon’s Hezbollah met with the top leaders of Palestinian terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday.
The Israeli publication posted an image tweeted on social media X to show Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri, and Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhala.

Previously, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that fighting against Israel might open on “other fronts” if Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza.

“Time is running out very fast,” Abdollahian said during a live televised interview with Iranian state television. “If the war crimes against the Palestinians are not immediately stopped, other multiple fronts will open and this is inevitable,” the NYT reported.

While talking further about India’s position in the conflict, the envoy stated, ‘India is a peace-loving country’ and that his country calls for more involvement and pressure from the Indian side towards the Israelis.

“India is a peace-loving country. India is a big player in the international community. They have the rising power and they have lots of responsibilities because, with this and promoting themselves, I mean, they are a peace-loving country and they do have lots of things to do with this crisis. Of course, they are in contact with the leaders in our region, but we also call for more involvement and more pressure from India on the Israeli side to stop this madness,” said the envoy.

When asked if there have been conversations between Lebanon and India, the envoy said that there ‘hasn’t been any direct or bilateral contact between Indian officials and Lebanese officials’ though they ‘are in continuous cooperation and coordination with the Indian side’.

Commending India’s peacekeeping presence in Lebanon, the envoy said that ‘India has a big role to play’.

“This is very much commendable. We always commend India. Like I said, India is a peace-loving country, and they are maybe one of the biggest contingents in Lebanon in the peacekeeping forces. We are happy to see this Indian contribution to peace and stability in Lebanon. We commend India for that and we asked them to keep up this peaceful presence in Lebanon because, like I said, India has a big role to play,” stated the envoy.

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.

Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas’ infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimise civilian casualties, The Times of Israel reported.

At least 7,326 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7. More than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel.