European Union flags in Brussels. (Credit: AP)
The European Union announced on Wednesday the dispatch of three planes loaded with humanitarian aid to Lebanon, where fighting is raging between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. « The EU stands with the populations affected by the ongoing crisis in Lebanon, » emphasized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.
These planes, filled with hygiene products and temporary shelters, will take off from Brindisi, in southern Italy, or Dubai. The first is expected to arrive in Beirut on October 11, according to the European Commission in a statement. The European Union will also fund the delivery of aid to Lebanon provided by several member states, including Spain, Slovakia, Poland, Belgium, Greece, and France.
This aid includes medicines and medical equipment, essential to assist the Lebanese, particularly displaced persons. Israeli bombings in Lebanon have caused the displacement of at least 1.5 million people in just over two weeks, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
This EU aid is part of a total envelope of about 104 million euros decided this year to support Lebanon.
In addition to the bombings, the Israeli army launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon on Sept. 30 to push Hezbollah away from border areas that serve as its stronghold and to stop its rocket fire towards northern Israel.
After weakening Hamas, whose unprecedented attack on Israeli soil on Oct. 7, 2023, triggered deadly hostilities in the Gaza Strip, Israel is now waging an open war in Lebanon against Hezbollah, an ally of the Palestinian movement.
