After pivotal Lebanon visit, UK Foreign Secretary says escalation in violence not in anyone's interests

Concluding his visit to Lebanon, the UK Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, held a series of meetings with Lebanese officials, where he raised concerns regarding the intensifying tensions along the border with Israel, expressing his country's commitment to supporting de-escalation.

Accompanied by Lord Ahmad, Minister of State for the Middle East, this visit marks his first to Lebanon as Foreign Secretary, following his previous visit as Prime Minister in 2015, and his fourth one to the Middle East as Foreign Secretary. 

During this visit, David Cameron met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Commander General Joseph Aoun, and Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, Lieutenant General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz.

A statement by the British Embassy in Beirut said that the Foreign Secretary highlights the UK's support for the LAF, which has surpassed £100 million since 2009. 

"To date, the UK has supported the construction of 78 border towers, the provision of 344 Land Rovers, 3450 sets of PPE to soldiers deployed on border operations, 100 Land Rover armoured patrol vehicles trained and mentored over 26,500 LAF personnel in border operations and internal security," affirmed the statement.

The Foreign Secretary also disclosed £7.35 million in new aid funding to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Lebanon Humanitarian Fund and a £2.6m contribution to support the education as part of UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education's (MEHE) Transition and Resilience Education Fund (TREF).   

The visit is built upon his regional visits, as he persists in pushing an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, "building towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire."

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the "UK is working to help preserve stability in Lebanon and prevent a damaging regional escalation. We're supporting the Lebanon Armed Forces – we've trained over 26,500 Lebanese soldiers and are giving further humanitarian aid to help the most vulnerable."

In turn, the British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, reaffirmed that "the situation across the Blue Line is fragile and an escalation in violence is not in anyone's interests. In his meetings, the Foreign Secretary stressed the need for a cessation of hostilities and implementation of UNSCR 1701. This is critical if we are to see a long-term solution for peace."