UN to Hold Emergency Meeting on Israeli Military Offensive in Lebanon

CNA Beirut/Tehran, June 1. After the Israeli military announced it had captured a strategic height in southern Lebanon, home to a Crusader-era castle, diplomatic sources told AFP that the UN Security Council is expected to hold an emergency meeting today to discuss the fighting in Lebanon. AFP reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to push deeper into Lebanon, calling yesterday's military action a 'major turning point' against the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire agreement that took effect on April 17, but it has never been implemented, with both sides frequently accusing each other of violations. According to the AP, this is the deepest Israeli incursion into Lebanon in over a quarter of a century. The emergency meeting was requested by France, with President Emmanuel Macron stating that the 'major escalation of conflict currently taking place in southern Lebanon lacks any justification' and calling for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated today that a ceasefire in Lebanon remains a key condition for any deal between Tehran and Washington.