• Salam calls Lebanon ‘a victim of war’; condemns Tel Aviv’s ‘dangerous talk’ of buffer zones
• 18 European nations demand Israel halt its military campaign, respect Lebanon’s sovereignty

BEIRUT: Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam declared on Thursday there was no end in sight to Israel’s devastating war on his country, a sentiment echoed by 18 European nations who jointly demanded an immediate halt to the Israeli military aggression that has displaced one million people in just one month.

As families fleeing relentless Israeli strikes described their exhaustion with the repeated violence, Lebanese officials and their European counterparts voiced alarm over Israel’s stated intention to occupy swathes of southern Lebanon as a so-called “security zone”.

“Lebanon has become a victim of a war — one whose outcomes and end date no one can predict,” Salam told reporters after a cabinet meeting. He condemned Israel’s aggressive military posture and expansionist ambitions.

“The positions of Israeli officials, and the practices of their army, reveal far-reaching goals, including a significant expansion in the occupation of Lebanese territories, dangerous talk about establishing buffer zones or security belts, and the displacement of more than one million Lebanese,” Salam said.

18 countries slam Israel

His warnings came as 18 European countries urged Israel and Hezbollah to stop fighting as their latest conflict reached one month and with fears over Israeli plans to control part of southern Lebanon post-war.

“Israeli military operations in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s attacks must cease,” the foreign ministers of the countries including Italy, Spain, Belgium, Poland and Ireland said in a joint statement.

“We urge Israel to fully respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and call on all parties, both Hezbollah and Israel, to halt military action,” the statement said.

Lebanon was sucked into the Middle East war after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel to avenge the US-Israeli attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Israel has responded with massive strikes across Lebanon and a ground offensive.

Lebanese authorities say the hostilities have so far killed more than 1,200 people and displaced more than one million others.

The European ministers said they were “appalled by the dramatic situation” in Lebanon and called for an end to “unjustified and unacceptable” attacks on civilian targets such as healthcare personnel, aid workers and journalists.

They pledged to continue providing humanitarian relief for the Lebanese population and called on the international community “to mobilise further” to help the country.

The European nations “strongly encouraged” Israel to hold direct negotiations with the Lebanese authorities and said reform efforts by Lebanon’s government “must be supported instead of being undermined”.

“Efforts to support stabilisation in Lebanon are instrumental to lasting peace and security in the Middle East. De-escalation is urgently needed. Diplomacy must prevail,” they said.

The countries include Spain, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Moldova, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Slovenia, and Sweden.

Hezbollah response

Meanwhile, Hezbollah announced on Thursday its fighters launched retaliatory drone and rocket attacks on military targets in northern Israel. The resistance group said the operations targeted Israeli troops in border areas in response to ongoing aggression.

Sirens were activated in those areas, according to the Israeli Home Front Command, with no reports of any casualties or damage.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2026