Israel's unilateral escalation could lead to comprehensive regional war: Egyptian PM

Cairo: Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has warned that Israel's unilateral escalation could lead to a comprehensive regional war in the Middle East, according to a statement from the Egyptian cabinet.

In the statement, Madbouly said that the escalation of regional tensions on Tuesday heralded a dangerous turning point and underscored the need for the international community and influential powers to intervene for an immediate ceasefire to preserve regional security and stability.

He also stressed that Egypt condemned Israel's escalation in Lebanon and rejected any attempts to undermine Lebanon's sovereignty, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Egyptian cabinet called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, saying it is an essential factor leading to de-escalation.

Israel has recently intensified its airstrikes on Beirut and its suburbs to target Hezbollah officials and facilities while simultaneously managing to push into Lebanon in what it said was a "limited" ground campaign.

Iran launched about 180 ballistic missiles at targets in Israel on Tuesday evening. Tehran claims this action was in retaliation for Israel's assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and senior IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan, as well as Israel's escalating "malicious acts" against Lebanese and Palestinian people with US support.

Confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have sharply escalated after the latter announced a shift in military focus from the Gaza Strip to the northern front in mid-September.

This intensified the clashes between Israel and Hezbollah, which began on October 8, 2023, when Hezbollah started launching rockets at Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza, triggering retaliatory Israeli artillery fire and airstrikes in southeastern Lebanon.