Josep Borrell held a meeting with Hezbollah’s Raad

The European Union’s foreign policy head met with Hezbollah’s leading lawmaker Mohammed Raad in Beirut on Saturday, aiming to prevent Lebanon from being embroiled in the escalating Israel-Hamas conflict.

An EU official confirmed the meeting, which followed Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on an Israeli military base. These attacks were in retaliation for the death of a senior Hamas figure in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut’s southern areas earlier in the week.

The EU is actively engaging in diplomatic discussions with all relevant political figures who can influence or have a stake in the ongoing situation, according to the source.

During a press conference alongside Lebanon’s foreign minister, Borrell emphasized the critical need to keep Lebanon out of a wider regional conflict, conveying the same message to Israel about the dangers of such a conflict.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while on a regional tour, including a stop in Greece, shared Borrell’s concerns. Blinken stressed the importance of preventing the conflict in the Middle East from spreading, with a particular focus on the Israel-Lebanon border, to avoid escalation.

The situation has been tense since Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, which initiated the current war, leading to regular exchanges of fire across the Israel-Lebanon border.

Tensions escalated further after the killing of Hamas’ deputy leader, Saleh al-Arouri, in a strike in Hezbollah’s stronghold in south Beirut, raising fears of a larger conflict.

A U.S. defense official, speaking anonymously, informed AFP that Israel was responsible for the strike that killed Arouri, though Israel has not officially claimed responsibility.

In response to Arouri’s death, Hezbollah said it launched 62 missiles at Israel’s Meron air control base, calling it an “initial response.” The group also reported the deaths of six of its fighters but did not provide details.

The Israeli army acknowledged about 40 missile launches from Lebanon and retaliated by targeting Hezbollah military sites. Northern Israel experienced multiple air raid sirens throughout the day.

An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed that the Meron base was attacked, though they did not comment on any potential damage or casualties.

Borrell had previously expressed concern that Arouri’s killing could lead to an escalation of the conflict.

Since the start of cross-border hostilities nearly three months ago, 181 people have died in Lebanon, including 135 Hezbollah fighters and over 20 civilians. In northern Israel, the conflict has resulted in the deaths of nine soldiers and at least four civilians, as per Israeli reports.