An Israeli ground invasion of southern Lebanon would be a “doomsday” scenario leading to an all-out regional conflict and the radicalization of Muslims in Europe, a senior Lebanese diplomat warned in an interview with The Times on 20 September.

Rami Mortada, Lebanon’s ambassador to the UK, warned that the UK-trained Lebanese army would not “stand idly” by and watch if Israel launches a ground invasion or “heavy aerial attack” on Lebanon.

Israel has said it seeks to create a buffer zone in south Lebanon by pushing Hezbollah’s forces some 30 kilometers away from the Israel border to behind the Litani River.

Since 8 October, Hezbollah has been striking Israeli military sites near the border with missiles and drones, forcing Israelis in the northern settlements to evacuate their homes. Hezbollah says it will continue targeting Israel until its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza is halted.

Israel has been striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s south, causing Lebanese civilians to evacuate as well.

The Lebanese Ambassador to the UK spoke after Israel carried out a terror attack in Lebanon by two remotely detonating electronic devices over two straight days, killing 37 people and injuring more than 3,000.

In an interview with The Times, Mortada said the region was on a “perilous path” with the prospect of Iran and fellow members of the Axis of Resistance in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria all joining the conflict should the crisis escalate.

“We are facing all the risks of an all-out regional conflict and that’s what we have been tirelessly trying to avoid,” he said.

Mortada added that Hezbollah had become a “formidable fighting force” in recent years and that Israel should learn from its past “humiliating” defeats, including during the war with Hezbollah in 2006.

“Let’s hope that we don’t get there because this is a doomsday scenario for everyone. It’s definitely a doomsday for Lebanon, but Lebanon will not hurt alone in this war. That’s what recent history has taught us. So all efforts should be focused on avoiding such an outcome,” he added.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, told supporters in a video speech on Thursday that the terror attacks “could be called a declaration of war.”

“Yes, we were subjected to a huge and severe blow,” Nasrallah said. “The enemy crossed all boundaries and red lines.”

He warned of a “reckoning” in response, “I won’t talk about place, time, location, details. You will find out when it happens. This reckoning will happen.”

“There are many dangerous aspects for the Middle East that could get as far as Europe and beyond,” he said.

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