On November 24, 2024, in Beirut, Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy chief, warned that Lebanon is on the verge of collapse after two months of confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel. Borrell expressed his concerns during a press conference following a meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, stating, 'In September, I was here and had hope that an open war launched by Israel against Lebanon could be avoided. After two months, Lebanon is on the brink of collapse.'
Borrell emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire and full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which established a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. He also urged Lebanese leaders to elect a president after two years of political vacuum and announced that the EU is prepared to allocate 200 million euros to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
Additionally, Borrell reiterated that EU member states are obligated to execute the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders. This statement came after a workshop in Nicosia organized by the 'Two-State Coalition for Israel and Palestine,' an Israeli-Palestinian activist organization. Borrell remarked, 'Countries that signed the Rome Statute are obliged to execute the court's decision. This is not optional.'
His comments were in response to the ICC's arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, known as Mohammed Deif, on charges of alleged crimes against humanity. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by several countries, including Germany, the EU, and the United States.
When asked about reports that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán invited Netanyahu to visit Hungary, Borrell stated that Hungary must also comply with the court's arrest warrants, as should all EU member states. He warned that failure to do so could result in legal action for non-compliance.
Borrell dismissed accusations from Israel that the arrest warrants are anti-Semitic, stating that references to 'the darkest periods of history' should not be used lightly. He added, 'Every time someone disagrees with a certain Israeli government policy, they are accused of anti-Semitism... this is unacceptable.' Reactions from EU member states regarding the ICC's warrants have varied, with France and Germany indicating they are reviewing the situation, while others have expressed intentions to arrest individuals named in the ICC's order.