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3. Lebanon 'on the Brink of Collapse,' Warns German Foreign Minister

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned on Wednesday that “Lebanon is on the brink of collapse” as she arrived in the war-torn country for a visit.

As Israel clashes with the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, she stated that “any deliberate attack on UN peacekeepers violates international humanitarian law.”

Baerbock was on her 12^th trip to the Middle East since the Hamas attack on October 7 last year, which triggered Israel's war in Gaza and its current conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

“The humanitarian situation in Lebanon is becoming more desperate by the day,” she said at the beginning of her trip, which Berlin had not previously announced due to security concerns.

“Lebanon is on the brink of collapse,” she emphasized.

She accused Hamas allies Hezbollah of “hiding behind civilians and continuing to fire rockets at Israel,” while cautioning that Israel must operate within “the narrow limits of the right to self-defense and international humanitarian law.”

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has accused Israel of attacking its peacekeepers multiple times in recent weeks.

“All parties to the conflict have an obligation to protect UN peacekeepers,” Baerbock said. “The soldiers of UNIFIL have our full support. They are needed for a political solution to the conflict.”

She urged efforts involving the United States, Europe and the Arab world “to develop a viable diplomatic solution that protects the legitimate security interests of both Israel and Lebanon.”