Israel severed diplomatic ties with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Thursday after Israel’s foreign minister accused her of comparing the country’s policies to apartheid-era South Africa, escalating tensions just days before an EU summit. Gideon Saar, Israel’s foreign minister, announced the decision, citing media reports that Kallas had made the contentious remarks regarding Israel’s actions in the West Bank. “We will not engage with someone who makes such baseless accusations,” Saar said in a statement released by the Israeli foreign ministry .

The rupture comes amid intensifying military operations in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces have continued to push deeper into territory despite a US-brokered ceasefire agreement with Iran that took effect earlier this week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated on Thursday that Israeli troops would remain in southern Lebanon “for as long as Israel’s security needs require it,” defying expectations that a fragile truce would lead to a withdrawal . The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that operations in the so-called “security zone” along the Lebanese border would persist, citing the need to “eliminate threats and improve the defense of residents in northern Israel” .

Casualties continue to mount on both sides. In Gaza, more than 1,000 people have been killed since a ceasefire was declared in October, according to Palestinian health officials cited by Dutch and Greek media . In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday killed at least two civilians in the southern town of Kfar Tebnit and one in Zebdín, local authorities reported . Residents in the battered port city of Tyre returned to find their homes reduced to rubble, though some expressed cautious hope that the US-Iran deal might stabilize the situation .

The diplomatic fallout with the EU deepens as Brussels prepares for a critical summit. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose country currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency, warned that the dispute would be addressed at the highest levels. “We will have to talk about this,” Merz told reporters in Berlin, underscoring the broader implications for EU-Israel relations .

The developments mark a sharp deterioration in Israel’s relations with Western partners, just as regional tensions show tentative signs of easing elsewhere. With Netanyahu’s government insisting on maintaining a military presence in Lebanon and the EU facing pressure to respond to Kallas’s alleged remarks, the coming days are likely to bring further diplomatic confrontations alongside ongoing violence on the ground.

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#Israel #Iran #Lebanon #USA Israel is seeking to maintain its presence in southern Lebanon, as an IDF official stated that Israeli forces will continue to operate in what they refer to as the "security zone" despite the recent memorandum of understanding with Iran. Further negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to address this situation. Subscribe to @OSINTdefender Chat room

telegram bot · about 2 months ago

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telegram bot · about 2 months ago

Israel insiste em não sair do Líbano O Líbano foi arrastado pelo Hezbollah para a guerra na região ao reatar, no início de março, ataques aéreos contra o território israelita

observador · about 2 months ago

Live - Israël verbreekt contact met EU-buitenlandchef na veronderstelde opmerkingen over apartheid • Meer dan duizend doden in Gaza sinds staakt-het-vuren

de morgen · about 2 months ago

Israel bricht Kontakt zur EU-Außenbeauftragten ab – „Werden darüber zu sprechen haben, sagt Merz Konflikt mit Brüssel: Israels Außenminister Gideon Saar will nicht mehr mit der EU-Außenbeauftragten Kaja Kallas sprechen. Auslöser sind Berichte über ihre Äußerungen zum Gazakrieg und zum Westjordanland.

welt.de · about 2 months ago

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taz.de · about 2 months ago

Israel und die EU: Israel bricht Kontakt zu EU-Außenbeauftragter ab Kaja Kallas soll Israels Vorgehen im Westjordanland mit dem südafrikanischen Apartheidregime verglichen haben. Das hat Konsequenzen – direkt vor dem EU-Gipfel. mehr...

taz.de · about 2 months ago

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hvg.hu · about 2 months ago

Le ministre des Affaires étrangères israélien rompt les relations avec la cheffe de la diplomatie de lUE Jeudi 18 juin, Gideon Saar, le ministre des Affaires étrangères israélien, a annoncé quil rompait ses relations diplomatiques avec Kaja Kallas, la haute représentante de lUE pour les affaires étrangères. Saar reproche à Kallas davoir comparé lÉtat hébreu à lAfrique du Sud au temps de lapartheid.

courrier international · about 2 months ago

Israel says its cutting ties to EUs Kaja Kallas Israels foreign minister says he is severing contact with the EUs foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas. Gideon Saar attributed the move to a media report alleging that Kallas compared Israel to apartheid-era South Africa.

deutsche welle europe · about 2 months ago

Israels Streitkräfte dringen weiter in Libanon vor

orf.at · about 2 months ago

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thejournal · about 2 months ago

Lebanon Latest: Tensions remain despite US-Iran deal Residents return home as a fragile ceasefire takes hold across southern Lebanon.

aljazeera · about 2 months ago

Israel kills at least three Palestinians in Gaza City drone strike Gazas Health Ministry says at least 1,007 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the so-called ceasefire.

aljazeera · about 2 months ago

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aljazeera · about 2 months ago

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euronews · about 2 months ago

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euronews · about 2 months ago

+++ Iran-Krieg +++: Neue Tote bei israelischen Angriffen im Libanon Vance: Verhandlungen beginnen am Wochenende +++ Israel bricht Kontakt zu EU-Außenbeauftragter Kallas ab +++ Deutschland schickt Minenräumboote in die Straße von Hormus +++ Der Newsblog.

handelsblatt · about 2 months ago

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die zeit · about 2 months ago

Israels Saar rejects EUs Kallas response, contact cut remains

news.yahoo.com · about 2 months ago