Iraqi Foreign Minister calls for urgent Arab and Islamic summit to address ‘Israeli aggression’ in Lebanon

BAGHDAD — Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein has called for an urgent Arab and Islamic summit to “unify efforts to halt Israeli aggression against Lebanon.” The proposal was made during a meeting of the Arab League Council at the ministerial level, Hussein announced on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“I proposed holding an emergency Arab and Islamic summit to unify efforts to stop Israeli aggression on Lebanon,” Hussein stated, stressing the need for swift collective action to protect the “brotherly Lebanese people” and defend their legitimate rights under international law.

Hussein further emphasized that Arab and Islamic solidarity is a “critical foundation” in tackling the region’s challenges. He pointed to the importance of a united approach, saying that such cooperation is essential to “facing the challenges in the region.”

Cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in October, following an unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups. On Sept. 17 and 18, hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah exploded in what the group described as an Israeli operation. The breach, which Hezbollah blamed on Israel, resulted in dozens of deaths and left 2,931 people wounded, according to Lebanese authorities. Israel has not commented on the incident.

Following the explosion, exchanges of fire intensified. On Sept. 20, an Israeli airstrike targeted Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Beirut, killing Ibrahim Aqil, commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. Days later, on Sept. 23, Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, killing 492 people, including 35 children, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The violence continues to escalate, with both sides engaged in retaliatory attacks.

Iraq’s stance on the recent developments reflects a firm commitment to supporting Lebanon. In an official statement on Monday, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani expressed solidarity with the Lebanese people, citing Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani’s call for “all efforts to be made to stop the aggression and assist Lebanon and its people in their brave resistance to the criminal Zionist attacks.” The Iraqi government condemned the violence, which has resulted in “the martyrdom of hundreds” and “the injury of thousands of innocent civilians,” calling for an immediate halt to the attacks.