Defence Secretary: Middle East escalation deeply worrying
John Healey says the deepening conflict in the Middle East is "deeply worrying", as civilian casualties in Lebanon rise after Israeli airstrikes. The defence secretary adds "we need a ceasefire on both sides". Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00Well, we're deeply worried about the continuing conflict in the Middle East, and particularly
00:05the risk that this escalates into something that is much wider and much more serious.
00:12Our first concern remains the safety of British nationals in Lebanon. The travel advice remains
00:17the same. Don't go to Lebanon. If you are in Lebanon, then get out. And there are still
00:23commercial flights leaving, so people can do that. But I left Labour conference earlier
00:29this week to chair a COBRA committee in government, because we are making the preparations you'd
00:36expect of government ahead of any potential developments in the future.
00:41It's good that the Prime Minister from Israel is in the United Nations today. He will hear
00:48about the calls from many countries, led by the United States and Britain, for an immediate
00:53ceasefire in Lebanon, 21 days in which the fighting should stop on both sides. That
00:59gives everyone a chance to concentrate on the peace plan that is on the table, that
01:06the Israelis themselves say would allow them to get their citizens back into northern Israel
01:12and the Lebanese to return to their homes in southern Lebanon. That's what we should
01:17all be working for.
01:18They're watching this really carefully, and that will be a matter for the Israelis. At
01:23the moment, it's airstrikes. At the moment, there are missiles from the Lebanese Hezbollah
01:29directed at Israel. This conflict serves no one. We need a ceasefire on both sides. We
01:35need that 21 days that is being called for in the United Nations, so that people can
01:41step back from the risk of escalation, step back from the conflict, and focus on the plan
01:46that is on the table, that the Israelis themselves say could provide the solution. So we want
01:51both sides now to focus on peace and the future, not on the fighting.