LONDON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged Friday to work with 鈥渞eal urgency鈥� for a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon and urged Israel to spare civilians, but stopped short of calling for an immediate ceasefire.
鈥淲e have a sense of real urgency in getting to a diplomatic resolution and the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, such that there can be real security along the border between Israel and Lebanon,鈥� Blinken said after meeting Lebanon鈥檚 prime minister in London, referring to calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Jordan鈥檚 foreign minister on Friday called for pressure on Israel to end 鈥渆thnic cleansing,鈥� in strong remarks as he met in London.
Deploring the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza, Ayman Safadi told Blinken: 鈥淲e do see ethnic cleansing taking place, and that has got to stop.鈥�