[Savage]

Norway condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon

The Norwegian government joined international calls on Thursday for the United Nations' Security Council to intervene in Israel's new military strikes
against Lebanon, calling them "totally unacceptable."


"I am deeply worried over the developments we're now seeing in the Middle East," said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre in a statement released Thursday afternoon. "We must avoid a situation that will turn into an international crisis."

Støre said the Norwegian government condemned both the militant group Hezbollah's abduction of two Israeli soldiers on Wednesday and the Israeli reaction to it.

"We also condemn the Israeli attacks against Lebanon, including the bombing of the airport in Beirut and the naval blockade of Lebanese waters," Støre said. "This is completely unacceptable, and amounts to a dangerous escalation of the situation."

Another foreign ministry official initially had said the Norwegian government merely was distancing itself from the Israeli actions. Gahr Støre's language was much stronger.

Norway's Foreign Ministry also is calling on the UN Security Council to intervene.

"There is a danger that the conflict will spread to other areas of the Middle East," said Svein Sevje, who's been a Norwegian envoy to the Middle East. He said Norway, which has been active in Middle East peace efforts for years, therefore is supporting calls for the UN Security Council "to evaluate the situation."

Sevje said Israel's military response wasn't in line with its right to defend itself. Støre said Israel was on the verge of violating international law by lashing out at Lebanon's civilian population to retaliate for the abductions

"To punish Lebanon for that means that they haven't understood Lebanon's situation," Støre told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). "It's not the state of Lebanon that's behind (the abductions)."

Norwegian officials are maintaining contact with Norwegian citizens in Lebanon and have boosted staffing at the embassy in Beirut by moving in personnel from Damascus.

Norway already has lodged official protests against Israel for its recent military strikes on Gaza.

Both France and Russia have already condemned Israel's bombing of Lebanon, while the US is urging Israel to show restraint.