German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Sunday called on Israel and Hezbollah to return to the ceasefire, as hostilities escalated again in Lebanon.
Wadephul said the Israeli military’s “continued advance” into southern Lebanon was “a cause for great concern.”
The German minister urged Israel to make sure no civilians and civilian infrastructure are harmed during its attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah.
“Any further escalation will only exacerbate the already tense situation and trigger new waves of displacement within Lebanon,” Wadephul warned on the sidelines of a visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The war with Iran has also led to renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In mid-April, the Israeli and Lebanese governments agreed to a ceasefire, which has since been extended twice. Nevertheless, Hezbollah and Israel continue to engage in daily fighting and, at times, heavy attacks.
Israel said on Saturday that it would expand its operations in southern Lebanon, ordering residents in several villages to evacuate.
An army spokesman said that the evacuation order was issued in response to what Israel described as continued violations of the ceasefire arrangement by Hezbollah.
Wadephul described the Israeli advance as a response to Hezbollah’s continued attacks on northern Israel, calling on the militia to halt its strikes.
But he also criticized Israel over its conduct in Lebanon.
While Israel has legitimate security interests, if civilians pay the price for a military escalation and parts of Lebanon were to become permanently uninhabitable, this would not make Israel any safer in the long run, Wadephul said.
More than 3,200 people have been killed and over 9,800 injured in Lebanon in the ongoing conflict, according to official figures.
Wadephul called for the Lebanese state, which is not a party to the conflict, to be strengthened in order to stabilize the country.